


Scrambling For Purchase

by Humansunshine



Series: FTGF Verse [2]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Jace doesn't exist, Angst, F/F, F/M, Family Dynamics, Fluff, Friendship, Homophobia, M/M, Misogyny, Parabatai Alec & Izzy, Politics, Transgender Author, in-depth trigger warnings in author's notes, mlm author, past Maia Roberts/Isabelle Lightwood, transgender alec lightwood
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-15
Updated: 2018-11-11
Packaged: 2019-06-10 19:53:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 103,241
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15298842
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Humansunshine/pseuds/Humansunshine
Summary: Alec Lightwood just wants his parabatai back.This is the story of season 2A if Jace didn't exist.





	1. Episode 1: This Guilty Blood

**Author's Note:**

> WE ARE BACK!! The last six weeks have flown by! I'm going to try and keep to releasing a new chapter every other Sunday, but my health isn't great, so forgive me if I'm a little late! Chapter 2 will definitely be up two weeks today, though, it's almost done. 
> 
> This time around, I think it'd be fun to use a hashtag so I can see your reactions on social media! I'll be watching the #SFPfic tag on Twitter and Tumblr, so feel free to share your feelings there!
> 
> Trigger warnings!
> 
> Violence - Izzy gets dragged and smacked around a fair bit in this chapter. Most of it is at the hands of Valentine, and has misogynistic as well as homophobic undertones. We don’t see her getting seriously beaten, though she does have a black eye for the latter half of this chapter. However, Izzy also gets to kick Valentine in the nuts, so there’s that. Lastly, right at the end Jocelyn is violent towards Izzy, but no lasting damage is done.
> 
> Misogyny/sexism: Valentine is a class A bigot, we know this. The way he talks to Izzy is charged with misogyny. He comments on her beauty, slut shames her, and is generally creepy. There is a disturbing moment where Valentine pins her against a wall and forces the circle rune into her skin. 
> 
> Homophobia: Again, Valentine is bigoted. There’s an implication that Clary’s demon blood made her like girls. We all know that’s nonsense. Additionally, Catarina and Ragnor point out the Clave’s homophobia. 
> 
> Non-detailed child abuse: Valentine references the fact that he experimented on his kids.
> 
> Emotional blackmail: Alec does that ugly ‘after everything I’ve done for you’ thing, but as in canon, Magnus doesn’t take it, and Alec apologises.
> 
> Racism: Valentine’s a prick, and so is the Clave. Valentine treats the downworlders he’s captured as experiment animals, using them as sleeper agents. He refers to them as tools.
> 
> Parental neglect: Maryse writes Izzy off as condemned and begs Alec to forget about her.

Valentine had more shadowhunters than Izzy had thought was possible. At least a hundred booed and hissed at her as she got dragged below decks, all of them with twisted, hateful looks on their faces. She was almost grateful when she saw an empty cell with its door open, this time catching herself as she was hurled to the ground. Her pockets were quickly checked for spare steles or weapons as she struggled to her feet, and then Valentine’s shadowhunters were gone, locking the cell door and heading back up to the deck. 

As her eyes adjusted to the low light she realised that just about every other cell in the huge room had a downworlder or two in them, all with protruding veins in their faces, just like the forsaken that had attacked the institute a couple of weeks before. Vampires, half-shifted werewolves, warlocks, Seelies, there were all different kinds of downworlders surrounding her, but no shadowhunters that she could see. The downworlders were different to the ones she’d known before. Rather than looking distressed at their situation, or calling out for help, almost all of them were curling up in the corners of their cells, staring off into space. It was utterly silent.

“What the hell did he do to you?” Izzy breathed, pressing her face against the bars on one side of her, looking into the cell next to hers. Crouched down in the opposite corner was a woman, her lank brown hair covering her face. “Hey, listen. Listen, what’s going on down here? What’s Valentine up to?” 

The woman looked over her shoulder, distrust in her eyes. “We aren’t supposed to speak.” 

“He can gag me later. We need to get out of here. Are you a warlock?” Izzy asked.

“I was… Now I can only use my magic when he commands it.” She answered, slowly getting to her feet. “You’re a shadowhunter? What are you doing here?” 

Izzy sighed. “It’s a long story. My name’s Izzy. I think I’m a hostage. Valentine thinks he can use me to lure his daughter here.” 

“Clary? Clary’s alive?!” 

Izzy nodded, her eyes widening. “You know Clary?” 

“I’m Dot. I worked for her Mom.” She explained, wringing her hands together.

“Dot…” Izzy felt tears spring to her eyes in pure relief. “I am so happy to see you. Clary’s fine, and we got Jocelyn back, too. She should be awake by now. I got caught while we were getting the antidote to the potion she used, but Clary escaped with Simon and my brother… And Magnus. He’s-”

“Magnus Bane?” Dot’s eyes lit up. “He’s still in New York?” 

Izzy smiled, nodding. “Yeah, he’s fighting the good fight, right next to us.” 

“He stayed,” Dot sighed, “I knew he wouldn’t be able to resist helping.” She looked around to check that there were no guards wandering around the cells, and stepped closer to Izzy. “I want to help, but I’m about as helpful as a finger puppet right now. I might be able to break his hold, but it would take almost all the strength I have, and then I’d be useless in a fight. And you don’t have any weapons.” 

“Just my bare hands, and I could probably take these grunts one at a time but they’d overpower me quickly with their numbers,” Izzy nodded, putting her hands on her hips. “Alright, let’s sit tight for now. Alec and Clary will be looking for me. With any luck, they’ll figure out we’re over water and find the boat.” 

Dot shook her head, her eyebrows creased in the middle. “Valentine is using the energy of the warlocks here to maintain undetectable wards over the ship. They won’t be able to find us.”

“Shit,” Izzy hissed. “Right, well… Then I guess we’re sitting tight. I’ll find a way out. I promise. I’ll get us all out of here.” 

“Izzy, I don’t think some of these people can ever leave here.” Dot whispered. “With one word from Valentine, they can be turned feral. He’s planning to use them to trigger emergency powers in the Clave. He wants the Clave to help him wipe out Downworlders. These vamps and wolves are basically sleeper agents. We can’t let them leave here before his spell is broken. And to break them out, you’d have to break all the warlocks and Seelies out of their trance. The only reason I’m still lucid is because he needed me alert so he could use my form at the factory. He…” Dot’s lip curled. “Boasted to me about his plan. Said he was going to use my hands to kill Luke and Jocelyn.”

“They’re both fine,” Izzy assured her, “Clary and Magnus figured out that something was off with the whole thing. Jocelyn and Luke are safe.”

“Oh, I told him it was going to fail. Big idiot thought that he’d be able to fool people who’ve known me for years when he doesn’t know the first thing about me.” Dot shrugged, “I was hoping they’d manage to catch him, but with that portal magic he’s leeching from us it’s hard to get a grip on him.” 

Izzy smiled slightly. “You know, Clary makes a lot more sense to me now that I’ve met the woman she calls her big sister.”

“Yeah?” Dot cracked a small smile. “Bet she’s loving it, waving seraph blades around.”

“She would be, I think, if she wasn’t so freaked out about the mortal cup.” 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Let me try tracking her again,” Magnus entreated as they walked into the ops centre. It had been over 24 hours with no trace of Izzy, and no word from Valentine with hostage demands. “Warlock tracking is better than rune tracking.” 

Alec wordlessly handed him the shirt he’d swiped from Izzy’s room, one of her favourites that had been lying on her bed. Clary watched anxiously as Magnus dangled it from his fingers and sprinkled some magical energy over it. A long moment stretched as Magnus closed his eyes to search, but he shook his head. 

“She has to be over water.” Alec headed over to the map, shouldering past some of the other shadowhunters there. “She’s not dead, my parabatai rune would have faded.” 

“We’ll find her, Alec.” Clary insisted, squeezing his shoulder. “Any word from the Clave?” 

“None yet,” Raj admitted, handing Alec an iPad with the latest intelligence. 

“Who’s shocked? Show of hands?” Magnus quipped, though no-one laughed. 

Alec glared first at the iPad, clenching his jaw at the utter lack of useful information, then at the map. He knew the odds intimately. He knew that if Valentine had no interest in killing Izzy, or using her as a hostage, then he had an altogether darker plan for her. And he was known for his experiments. “I want radar and sonar scanning the Hudson and the Harbour. Every single person at this institute is now working on finding Izzy. Drop any other missions, this is everyone’s number one priority. No-one sleeps until we get a lead. Everyone understand?!” He turned to face the room, chest heaving, overwhelmed by all the utterly clueless, sympathetic faces of everyone assembled. Magnus reached out to him, his warm fingers stroking Alec’s forearm.

“Alexander…”

“No!” Alec ripped his arm away, a stricken, desperate look on his face. “Back off! Everyone! Get to work!” Without looking at anyone else, he stormed out of the room, his chest feeling tight despite the fact that his binder was in his room.

Magnus pursed his lips, folding his arms. Luke and Jocelyn wandered out into the room, hand in hand. Luke patted Magnus on the back with his free hand, and Magnus smiled weakly at him over his shoulder.

“Don’t take it personally,” Clary said softly. “He gets like this sometimes, it’s not you.” 

Luke nodded. “Losing your parabatai is hard. Give him a little space.” 

“I get it,” Magnus answered flatly, looking at the corridor where Alec had disappeared. He hated seeing Alec so worked up and being utterly unable to do anything about it. 

“Clary,” Jocelyn pressed, taking her daughter by the elbow, “can we talk while Alec’s not here?” 

With a quick nod from Magnus, Clary followed her Mom and Luke out to the arboretum. He had to check on Alec, anyway. When he headed in the direction Alec had gone, Raj stepped in front of him, frowning. 

“Listen, I’ve known Alec a long time. It’s not smart to go after him right now, unless you wanna be met with some…” Raj tilted his head to the side slightly, a small smile tugging at his lips, “creative… curse words.”

Magnus quirked an eyebrow at him. “I didn’t know you and Alec were friends.” 

“I’m trying to be better to him.” Raj raised his chin. “He was ballsy, standing up for Izzy like that. Standing up to Lydia. He deserves more respect than he gets around here.” 

“Well, I agree with that.” Magnus muttered, glancing around at the shadowhunters buzzing around the ops centre. “But I need to apologise to him, if you must know. Is that permitted?”

Raj shrugged, stepping aside. “Your life, man. I was just warning you.”

“I appreciate the concern.” Magnus smiled slightly. “And I’m glad someone else here is looking out for Alec.” Magnus headed up to roof, sensing Alec’s energy up there, and let himself out into the open air to see Alec leaning on the wall, looking out at the city. 

He looked like he was far away, his eyes fixed unblinkingly on the horizon, his shoulders tense. Magnus had to stop himself from rubbing them, putting a respectable amount of distance between them as he came to stand next to the other man. For a moment, Alec didn’t react to his presence, and Magnus looked at his face in profile, wishing that he could just pluck Izzy out of thin air, if only to see Alec’s eyes focus once more.

“I’m sorry I snapped at you. It wasn’t personal.” Alec said, his breath steaming in the cool air. 

Magnus shook his head. “I know I can be a lot to get used to. I shouldn’t have tried touching you like that in front of everyone.” 

“No, I… It wasn’t that. I…” Alec sighed, tearing his eyes from the view to look at Magnus. “I shouldn’t have… I was joking around with you yesterday, flirting with you, while… Somewhere out there, something terrible is happening to Izzy. I have to save her, I have to get her back. She holds a part of me. If anything happened to her, I-” He shook his head, pinching the bridge of his nose. 

“I understand,” Magnus said quietly, knotting his fingers together to keep from comforting Alec physically.

Alec cleared his throat a little, turning his body to face the other man. “Can I have a hug?” He asked miserably, and Magnus huffed out through his nose, opening his arms and pulling Alec in tight. They both relaxed at the other’s touch, breathing in deeply. “There’s a way that we can get her back, though. I just need your help.”

Magnus pulled back, rubbing Alec’s arm. “With what?”

“I can use my parabatai rune to track Izzy. My soul can reach out for hers. But it’s-”

“Painful and dangerous beyond belief?” Magnus finished, shaking his head. “No, that’ll leave Izzy weak as well as you. That’s not a good idea.” 

“She would do the same for me,” Alec insisted. “I have to save her, Magnus, I have to.” 

“And you will,” Magnus soothed, thumbing Alec’s cheek. “But not like this.” 

Alec clenched his jaw. “Why can’t you do this one thing?!” 

Magnus opened his mouth to speak, taking a step back at Alec’s tone.

“After everything I’ve done for you?!” 

“You-?” Magnus blinked at him, dropping his hands. “For me?!”

Alec regretted it the second it was out of his mouth, but he was so frustrated that the apology got stuck in his throat. He turned away, and kicked at the wall, grunting under his breath. After a deep breath, he turned back around. “Magnus, I-” 

Magnus was gone. 

“Shit,” Alec groaned, turning back to the view of the city. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As Magnus was just reaching the entrance of the institute, a siren started blaring, and he paused with a sigh as a couple of shadowhunters moved to block the exits. He caught sight of Raj walking towards him, and inclined his head towards the door. 

“Can I just go?” 

“Alec being an asshole?” Raj guessed, and Magnus shrugged.

“It’s understandable.” 

Raj shook his head. “Institute’s on lockdown, everyone’s meeting in the ops centre. I can’t let you go.” 

Magnus followed Raj to the ops centre, where everyone else was waiting except Alec, who walked into the room without looking at anyone in particular. Maryse was standing on the briefing platform, and she fixed her eyes on Jocelyn, Luke and Clary, who were just in front of Magnus. 

“We are at war.” She announced, her hands clasped tightly in front of her. “Valentine has the Mortal Cup and is in process of creating an army for himself. Latest intelligence suggests that one of our own has joined him.” 

“We caught Hodge,” Clary muttered, folding her arms, “didn’t anyone tell her?”

“As a result, the Clave has declared a state of emergency at the Institute,” Maryse continued, straightening her spine. They have replaced the current leadership, Lydia Branwell, effective immediately.” 

Alec glanced at Lydia on the other side of the room, who looked pissed, her lips pursed. Her eyes were fixed on the man standing behind Maryse, who stepped forward as he was introduced as the new Head of the Institute. Alec looked him up and down, noting the fancy suit and uncalloused hands. So, a politician. Not a soldier. Wonderful. 

“My fellow shadowhunters. My name is Victor Aldertree and I will be, as Mrs Lightwood so eloquently said, taking over the New York Institute for the foreseeable future.” He tangled his hands together behind his back, puffing out his chest. “We have to find Isabelle Lightwood. She’s a shadowhunter and we don’t leave our people behind.”

Alec breathed out slowly, relief flooding his body. If the Clave was making Izzy a priority, then they’d find her in no time.

“Additionally, I am enforcing a lockdown on this institute temporarily until we decide what our next move is. I want to speak to everyone who was present when Isabelle disappeared, including the downworlders still loitering in this hall.” He fixed his eyes on Magnus, Luke and Simon, who’d arrived to see Jocelyn right after the sun went down. “Mr Bane, if you’d accompany me to my office.” 

“Certainly,” Magnus answered, following the new Head of the Institute as Alec headed over to Clary and Simon. 

“If we’re on lockdown, who’s out there looking for Izzy?” Clary asked him, and Alec shook his head, running his fingers through his hair. 

“I don’t know anything,” Simon looked at the door, “do you think they’ll let me just go?” 

“I’d stay here for now,” Alec answered, “if you try to leave now you’ll just make them suspicious. And that is the last thing we need.” 

Simon nodded, shoving his hands in his pockets. “Well, let’s hope that Magnus’ interview doesn’t take too long, huh.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“So, Mr Bane, take a seat.” Aldertree encouraged, unbuttoning his jacket as he sat behind what had previously been Alec’s desk. Magnus hitched up his trousers as he sat, crossing one leg over the other. 

“Valentine kidnapped Isabelle using a portal. I don’t know what else there is that you need to know.” Magnus told him. 

Aldertree rested his clasped hands on the desk in front of him, and nodded at the shadowhunter at the door to leave them alone. Once the door clicked shut, Aldertree started to speak. “Isabelle Lightwood is one of our best shadowhunters. She has a reputation for being a fierce fighter both here and in Idris. The Clave would just like as much information as possible in order to establish a timeline, in the hope of retrieving her from Valentine. Now I assume that you also want Isabelle to be returned here?”

“Of course. Isabelle is a dear friend.” Magnus answered, noting with relish at the disapproval that flickered across the other man’s features. “I’d do anything to bring her back unharmed.” 

“Then tell me how exactly you came to be in Camille Belcourt’s apartment.” Aldertree reached for a voice recorder. 

“Camille was in possession of the warlock spellbook, the Book of the White. Izzy and Clary struck a deal with her for the book, and they enlisted my help to write a contract for them.” Magnus explained, “Camille wanted a Writ of Consent. Simon Lewis, a man she turned a few weeks ago, was the subject. He signed and in exchange she brought us to her apartment with the implication that she’d give us the book when we got there. True to form, though, she just showed us two rooms full of books and told us to get looking. I was in the library with Alexander and Simon when we got ambushed by some Circle members and brought into the main room, where Clary and Isabelle were looking for the book.” 

“How did they suppress your magic?” Aldertree asked, “presumably you fought those Circle members?”

“No, I purposefully didn’t.” Magnus replied, “I assumed that Clary and Izzy would also be in trouble, and I’m experienced enough to know that it’s easier to fight one room of enemies rather than two. I waited them out until we were all in the same room.”

“So there was one shadowhunter holding each of you? And Alec Lightwood was just… Subdued?” 

Magnus sighed. “I imagine he thought the same thing that I did. We both wanted to get Valentine, and we both had the sense to know that the grunts would take us to him.”

“Well, I’ll be sure to ask him about that,” Aldertree smiled faintly. “So when you got into the same room, what happened next?” 

“Then Valentine did a little monologue as homicidal maniacs are wont to do, so I quietly wove a spell into the minds of the shadowhunter holding me so that he’d fall unconscious at a moment’s notice. It took too much time, I was going to do it on all of them, but Valentine ordered the shadowhunter to kill Simon, so I had to play my hand early. I snapped the shadowhunter holding me unconscious and released a burst of magic to incapacitate the others and give Clary, Alec, Izzy and Simon leverage to get the upper hand. After that, it took me a minute to get my bearings. My emotions were high so I used more magic than I intended to. The next thing I remember clearly is Alec telling Simon to run, and Clary killing the shadowhunter who’d been holding her.”

Magnus paused then, worried that Clary would be in trouble, but if anything Aldertree looked impressed. “So Clary Fray was able to hold her own but Isabelle fell victim?”

“Izzy was up against Valentine. The others, they weren’t trained as shadowhunters, they were just thugs. Easily overpowered, minimum skill with a blade. But Valentine was the greatest shadowhunter of his generation, he’s not easily beaten. Izzy did well not to be killed.” Magnus insisted. “I’ve seen him in action. He got the drop on me once; he’s not to be messed with.” 

“I see,” Aldertree nodded. “So he beat Isabelle. Why didn’t he kill her?” 

Magnus sighed. “I’m not a psychic. If I had to hazard a guess, I’d say he took her to use as bait against Clary. They’re… Very close.” 

“I’m aware of the romantic relationship between Miss Fray and Miss Lightwood, Mr Bane, and I assure you I will not hold it against either of them.” 

“Good to know,” Magnus replied. “All that remains of the story is that Valentine had a portal stone, no doubt powered by a warlock he has in his employ or one he’s holding captive. He smashed it on the ground and dragged Izzy through it with him. Alexander attempted to follow but I stopped him.” 

“To keep him from being trapped in limbo?”

“Yes.” Magnus nodded. “And that’s it.” 

“What is your relationship to Alexander Lightwood, Mr Bane?” Aldertree asked, leaning forwards in his chair.

Magnus’ spine straightened. There it was. “What relevance does that have to these events?” 

“Do you think Alexander was distracted by you in the fight? Is that why he failed to save his parabatai?” 

“No… Alec fought bravely, he took down two shadowhunters without killing them. We barely acknowledged each other.”

“So he allowed his parabatai to escape with Valentine?” 

“Escape? What?” Magnus could barely believe his ears. “Didn’t you listen to a word I said? Isabelle was kidnapped!”

Aldertree hummed, turning off the voice recorder. “That’s all we’ll need from you at this time, Mr Bane.”

“I want it on record that Isabelle was kidnapped. There is no question of that.” Magnus demanded, getting to his feet.

“It will be included in your statement that you believe Isabelle was taken without her consent.” Aldertree assured him, and Magnus put his hands on the table, leaning forward.

“If you attempt to make Isabelle Lightwood a scapegoat in this crisis, I will not rest until every downworld leader in the tri-state area knows that you and the Clave are attempting to paint the strongest ally we had inside this institute as something that is totally opposite to what she stands for. Have you read the records from her trial? She despises Valentine and everything he stands for!” Magnus narrowed his eyes. “I’m warning you now. The downworld will not stand for you attempting to discredit Isabelle’s work this way. You might be ready to fight Valentine, Mr Aldertree, but I don’t think you’re ready to fight us.” 

Aldertree lifted his chin, a faint smile on his face. “You are dismissed, Mr Bane. I trust I won’t have to call security.”

Magnus straightened up, and went to the door. “Isabelle Lightwood could never be corrupted by Valentine. Not ever.” 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dot slipped to the other side of her cell as she heard a couple of shadowhunters approaching, taking the same position she’d been in when Izzy was dragged in. It wouldn’t be good if Valentine found out that the two of them had been talking. Unsurprisingly, they went for Izzy, who’d started stretching as the shadowhunters came in, like she was limbering up for a fight. She smirked as the two shadowhunters looked at each other, clutching their seraph daggers nervously. 

“I promise I won’t bite. I don’t want your asses, I want Valentine’s.” Izzy assured them, flicking her hair over her shoulder. 

One of the two held out a pair of handcuffs through the bars, and Izzy snatched them from him, clipping them around her wrists. There was no point making a play to escape before she’d seen the rest of the ship and Valentine’s defences. There’d be plenty of time for it, she told herself; if Valentine had meant to kill her he’d have done it as soon as they reached the ship. 

“Hold up your arms, let me see,” the bigger shadowhunter grouched. Izzy raised her hands, and the shadowhunters opened the cell door, grabbing one of her elbows each. “Boss wants to speak to you.” 

“I’d like to speak to him as well,” Izzy replied, letting them pull her towards the deck. Valentine was standing on the raised portion, watching the new shadowhunters train. They were going through drills that she and Alec had mastered when they were children. 

“Ah, Miss Lightwood. I’m so glad to see our little spat didn’t damage that beautiful face.” Valentine smiled, pointing to the space right next to him.

Izzy raised her chin, slowly moving to stand at his side. “You don’t have to flirt, just tell me what you want with me, Valentine.” 

“You impressed me back in the vampire’s lair. Not many shadowhunters of your age could hope to hold me off for that long. You could certainly teach these amateurs a thing or two.” 

“And here I thought that Hodge would have kept you updated on all the ins and outs of the New York Institute.” Izzy smirked, shaking her head. “I despise you and everything you stand for. If you’re hoping to turn me to your side, you’re going to be disappointed. I will protect downworlders until my dying breath. You disgust me.” 

Valentine hummed, nodding. “Actually, I know all about your antics in the Institute. And I know about your… Dalliance… With my daughter.” He sniffed, looking out at the shadowhunters. “I knew there’d be consequences to my experiments, I just never imagined that it would affect her like that…”

“Experiments? What experiments?” Izzy demanded, her eyebrows creasing in the middle. “She told me what you did to her brother, you sick son of a bitch, what did you do to her?!” 

“I couldn’t just put all my eggs in one basket, could I?” Valentine tutted. “That would be foolish. No, it was better that I had two test subjects, just in case one of them was too weak to take the blood.” 

Izzy’s throat closed up. “You didn’t.” 

“Didn’t you wonder how Clary took to killing so beautifully?” 

“That’s not true. She was shaking when she killed her first demon, I saw it.” Izzy insisted.

“Shaking from adrenaline, perhaps. A feeling of rightness. She is bred to kill. A living weapon.” Valentine gloated, and Izzy lashed out, her knee coming up right between his legs. 

As she straightened up, Valentine sagged, his hands flying to his crotch. The two shadowhunters that had brought Izzy up quickly grabbed her, dragging her away from him as she went in for a second kick. 

“You are a sick, sick, sick fuck.” Izzy snarled at him, lunging for him despite the two men holding her. 

Valentine chuckled, the sound strained. “I’m sure I have no idea why you’re so upset, Miss Lightwood. From what I hear, you like a bit of demon blood in your lovers.” He spat. “Take her back to the cell, let the news sink in.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Magnus!” Alec called, abandoning the conversation he’d been having with Simon about the Hotel DuMort as he caught sight of Magnus, jogging to catch up with him. “Hey,” he breathed, taking Magnus’ arm before he got to the door. “Hey! Where are you going?”

“I’ve done my interview, and Aldertree has said I’m free to go.” Magnus answered, looking at the hem of Alec’s shirt around his neck. 

“You’re not gonna stay and help?” 

Magnus sighed, and looked into Alec’s eyes. “Alexander, I’m exhausted. Physically and emotionally. Look, you have to be careful about what you say in your interview. Aldertree is trying to make Izzy a scapegoat.” 

“What?!” Alec glanced over his shoulder, and saw Aldertree calling Clary in to be interviewed. “Fuck, I wish I was surprised. It makes sense. They minimise scandal and get rid of a dangerous radical at the same time. Fuck.” 

“I’m sorry.” Magnus nodded, folding his arms. “But I really should go.” 

Alec reached out for his hand. “I didn’t mean to yell at you before.” 

“Please, Alexander,” Magnus pulled his hand away reluctantly. “I’m tired. Can we do this another time?”

An uneasy weight settled in the pit of Alec’s stomach, and he nodded. “Of course. I’ll call you tomorrow?” 

Magnus smiled weakly. “Just think about what you said up there, alright? Think about what you did, and who you did it for. And when you figure it out, we can talk, hmm?” 

“I said I didn’t mean to-”

“Call me then.” Magnus insisted, patting his arm before heading out the door. 

Alec watched him go helplessly. He knew that it had been stupid, pulling emotional blackmail. It was what his mother would have said, and he hated himself for that. He was terrible at apologies, but he’d have to figure out how to do a good one, because there was no way he was losing Magnus and Izzy in the same week. 

“You have to be very careful how you phrase your answers,” Alec told Simon as he reached the vampire, “Aldertree’s angling to blame Izzy for all of this.”

“Is he high? He really thinks Izzy would ever side with Valentine?!” Simon asked, a look of disbelief on his face. 

“Of course not. He just wants an open and shut case, someone to blame for Valentine’s rise.” Alec muttered. “Just try not to say more than absolutely necessary. The less material they have to twist, the harder it’ll be to build a case against Izzy.” 

“Yeah, dude, of course. I’ll keep it all to a minimum. That dude doesn’t scare me.” Simon nodded, folding his arms. 

They both straightened up in surprise as Clary joined them, Alec’s eyebrows furrowing. She looked stony-faced, her arms folded tightly. Simon stepped up to follow Aldertree, but he shook his head. 

“I’ll be talking to Mr Lightwood now.” Aldertree insisted, and Simon looked out the window nervously. The sun would be up in less than two hours. “Mr Lightwood?”

“Simon needs to leave soon.” 

“That’s none of my concern. Your interview is more important.” Aldertree insisted, “we could always put your vampire friend in the basement cells if he’s worried about the sun.” 

“That won’t be necessary,” Luke interrupted, walking over from where he’d been talking to Jocelyn. “I’ll be responsible for him.”

Aldertree looked at them with a disapproving quirk in his eyebrow, but said nothing, holding out his arm for Alec to go before him towards the office. With one last glance at Clary and Simon, Alec went, going over what he was going to say as he led Aldertree down the corridor. He walked over to the desk, force of habit, but caught himself before he sat down in the chair and wandered back around the big wooden table to sit in the other seat. 

“I recognise that you’ve been put in a difficult position, Mr Lightwood.” Aldertree hummed, unbuttoning his jacket as he sat down. “Choosing between your parabatai and the Clave is a decision no shadowhunter should have to make.”

“That decision won’t need to be made today,” Alec replied coolly. “Izzy has been and is still acting in the interests of the Clave.” 

Aldertree steepled his fingers, his elbows resting on the edge of the desk. “I hope you’re right. Your sister is an effective fighter, it would be a shame to lose her to the Circle.” 

“No-one is losing anyone,” Alec answered, folding his arms. “What do you need to know?” 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Can I crash here today?” Simon asked Alec, jogging up to him in the ops centre a couple of hours later, “the bastard saved me until last on purpose, I swear. The sun’s up now.” 

“Sure, you can sleep in my room.” Alec promised, his eyes on Aldertree as he took to the platform at the front of the crowd that had gathered to receive their next set of orders. Alec couldn’t believe how much time Aldertree had wasted already, dragging out this charade when he could have just asked Alec for a written report. 

“As of this moment,” Aldertree announced, hands behind his back, “Isabelle Lightwood is wanted by the Clave, dead or alive.” 

“What?!” Clary demanded, “this has to be a joke!” 

Aldertree’s eyes flicked over her briefly, but didn’t acknowledge her outburst. “The Clave considers Miss Lightwood a dangerous fugitive, and evidence suggests that she’s been working to undermine our efforts to catch Valentine for wee-”

“That is a lie and you know it.” Alec strode towards the platform, the gathered shadowhunters parting for him like the red sea. “Izzy is on the very opposite end of the political spectrum to Valentine.” 

“Careful, Mr Lightwood,” Aldertree looked down his nose at him, “you are also under investigation. We are watching you very closely.”

Alec snorted, folding his arms. “This is a joke.”

“Additionally,” Aldertree continued, “I am enforcing a ban of all downworlders from the New York Institute until further notice. All downworlders currently inside the Institute will leave immediately.” 

Simon gaped at Clary. “Where am I supposed to go? The sun’s up…” He muttered. 

“You can come with me, I have my car,” Luke told him, clapping a hand on his shoulder. “I have somewhere you can lay low for a while.” 

As the two downworlders made their way to the door, muttering together about the audacity of the shadowhunters, Alec cornered Aldertree on his way back to the office. Aldertree looked unphased by the irritation radiating from the younger shadowhunter, meeting his gaze serenely. 

“I don’t expect you to assist us in the hunt for your sister, Mr Lightwood. Never fear. I’m keeping you right here, where I can keep an eye on you.”

“Explain.” Alec demanded. 

Aldertree smiled slightly. “Since you are no longer in any kind of command position, and since you yourself are being investigated, I don’t have to explain the Clave’s ruling to you.”

“Then I’ll be forced to draw my own conclusions,” Alec answered, squaring his shoulders. “And I can come to no other conclusion other than the Clave fears Izzy and the vibrancy, the individuality that she brings. She isn’t a mindless soldier with no critical thinking skills, and the Clave wants to get rid of her by any means necessary. That’s what I think.”

“You can think anything you want,” Aldertree shrugged, turning his back on Alec to walk into his office. “But very soon you are going to have to choose between your parabatai and the Clave. Choose wisely, Mr Lightwood. There will be no second chances.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“It’s beyond ridiculous, they aren’t even trying to keep up appearances. Everyone in that institute knows that Isabelle would rather die than join the circle.” Magnus tutted, handing Ragnor and Catarina a margarita each. “It’s happening again. The Accords won’t last the winter, mark my words.” 

“No-one at Alicante will buy this nonsense either, not if they ever came into contact with Isabelle,” Ragnor sighed, shaking his head. “She has always been very vocally pro-downworlder. They’re just trying to silence her. And I doubt it helps that Alexander played tonsil tennis with a downworlder in front of the consul when he was basically betrothed to his daughter.” 

Catarina snorted, and Magnus glared at the both of them. “The Clave always hated queer people,” she reminded the two of them, “they tolerated Izzy’s views right up until she kissed Clary publically. There’s no way it’s not related.” 

“It’s 2016!” Magnus blurted out, getting up from his seat on the couch to go and look out the balcony doors. “When are they going to let this heterosexual nonsense go? It’s not as if there aren’t a plethora of orphaned shadowhunter children for queer couples to adopt. But no, of course, those poor children get sent to be raised by the Silent Brothers.” 

“I don’t know, I think I’d have liked having parents who had their mouths sewn shut,” Cat mused, and Ragnor tutted at her. She grinned at him. 

“Are you already thinking of adopting little shadowhunter babies with a certain archer?” Ragnor asked Magnus, smirking into his drink. “You’ve gone native, Junior.” 

“No-one mentioned Alexander.” Magnus huffed, his eyebrows scrunching. “I’ve known him barely a month, I’ve outgrown the urge to rush these things.” 

Catarina and Ragnor gave each other a knowing look.

“Of course you have” Cat said slowly. “Have you even been on a date yet?”

“Well, we’ve had drinks. Here.”

Ragnor grumbled, shaking his head. “That boy deserves to be wined and dined. Lord knows he needs the distraction.”

“He’s got another thing coming if he thinks I’m taking him out when he’s acting like an arse.” Magnus raised his chin. 

“What’s he done?” Cat asked, leaning forward to plump the pillow behind her. 

Magnus sighed. “He got angry with me because I refused to help him track Izzy using his parabatai rune. Said some… Things.” 

“He does have quite the temper,” Ragnor agreed, and Cat laughed.

“That’s an understatement. Kid’s got a lot to be angry about. Especially right now,” she pointed out, “cut him some slack.” 

“I know,” Magnus pursed his lips. “But I won’t be spoken to like that. I’m not setting that precedent.” 

“That’s understandable. Is this his first relationship?” Ragnor guessed, and Magnus nodded. “Yes, then I agree. You can’t let him get away with taking his frustrations out on you.”

“He’s got a good heart, I’m sure he’ll apologise.” Cat assured Magnus, putting her empty glass on the coffee table. “I mean, fuck, the guy snogged you in front of the consul. He has to be at least a little serious about you.” 

Magnus turned around, holding his glass against his chest. “I know he is, I don’t doubt that for a second. But I’m being grumpy with him for a little while. I’m not going to torment him about it, just…” He narrowed his eyes, choosing his words carefully. “Show him I’m not a pushover.” 

Ragnor raised his eyebrows, directing his gaze down into his drink.

“Oh, shut up.” Magnus grumbled, downing the last of his margarita.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Are you feeling a little more reasonable now, Miss Lightwood?” Valentine asked, taking Izzy by the elbow. Her hands were cuffed again, and she was sporting a spectacular black eye. 

Izzy said nothing, looking out over the river. The last few days she’d alternated between watching the shadowhunter cronies, getting smacked around by said shadowhunter cronies, and bitching at Valentine. She was getting tired of it, and a plan was starting to come together in her mind. 

“How are you enjoying your stay down in the hold with those feral beasts?” 

“There’s nothing beastly about them. You’ve broken them all. You’re a monster and I want nothing to do with you.” Izzy answered flatly, not looking at him. “I wish you’d let me go or kill me. I’m tired of listening to your insane ravings.” 

“Careful what you wish for, Miss Lightwood,” Valentine sing-songed, pulling her down to the hold. “From what I hear, the Clave’s put a price on your head. Dead or alive.” 

Izzy rolled her eyes. “Sure they have.” 

Valentine smirked, shutting the door of the hold behind the two of them, shutting out the rest of the shadowhunters. Izzy made eye contact with Dot, who shook her head almost imperceptibly. Izzy straightened up, glancing around for a spare stele or weapon. One of the new shadowhunters must have left one lying around somewhere. 

“You see, I’ve unlocked so many secrets in my experiments. Downworlder biology is so easy to manipulate. And you know what it’s given me?” Valentine asked, strolling between the cages, smiling faintly to himself. “Spiro!” He shouted, and suddenly half of the downworlders leapt at the bars of their cages, eyes alight with fury, reaching towards Valentine and Izzy, snarling and snapping like… Like feral animals, Izzy was loathe to admit. 

“You made them this way. This is not their natural state.” Izzy argued. “You destroyed their souls.”

“I amplified their demon blood, thinned out their mundane blood.” Valentine explained, satisfied. A few of the werewolves started to turn, and he bent a little to watch. “It wasn’t difficult. Of course, I had to leave the warlocks and Seelies in tact. We need our wards to keep out the Clave and your dear parabatai. Nevertheless, they are under my control. They simply have a different control word. They are my tools. The tools we will use to bring into order a new world.” 

“We?” Izzy barked out a laugh. “Do you think I’m swayed by this?” 

“Oh, no, not at all,” Valentine tutted, pulling a stele out of his pocket and advancing on Izzy, pinning her against the wall with an arm across her chest. 

She grunted, trying to knee him between the legs, but he had his legs pressed together this time, and he put his stele to her neck, searing in a perfectly round rune. Izzy struggled, bucking and kicking at his shins, but he was strong, and held her in place until the circle rune was burned into her flesh, stinging and angry red. He let her go, and Izzy went for him, swinging with her connected fists at the side of his head. He ducked out of her way and grabbed the middle of the handcuffs, pulling her right into a headbutt. 

Izzy fell to the ground, dizzy and disoriented. 

Valentine laughed, walking in a circle around her. “You haven’t got a hope in hell, Miss Lightwood. You see, in order to destroy evil, you have to become a little evil yourself. Which is why I imbued Clary, and myself, with demon blood. You could never hope to overpower me. Accept it, Isabelle. Accept that you belong to me now.” 

“You’ll have to kill me.” Izzy scoffed, struggling to her feet.

“Oh, no.” Valentine tutted, “you are altogether too valuable. No, I’ll convert you if I have to inject you full of demon blood to do it.” 

“Yes, because turning me into a downworlder will make me hate downworlders.” Izzy sighed, wiping her nose with the back of her wrist. 

“When you see the darkness that falls when downworlders are allowed to run amok, you’ll change your mind. I promise you that.” Valentine insisted, dragging Izzy back up towards the deck. “Nox!” He shouted over the din of growling werewolves and vampires, and they all fell silent, slinking back into the shadowy corners of their cells. 

“Where are we going?” She almost stumbled trying to keep up with him, and her stomach jumped in hope as he led her to his standing portal. If she could just get away from him in the city, she’d be in the clear. This was her chance.

“I’m going to show you just how evil downworlders really are.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Alec was heading out of the grounds of the institute when his mother caught up to him. “Where are you going?!” She demanded, catching him by the wrist. 

“To see Magnus. I need to apologise to him.” He answered, “hopefully he’ll agree to help us look for Izzy.” 

Maryse shook her head. “Forget her, Alec. She’s already condemned.” 

“What?!” Alec wrenched his wrist out of her grip. “What are you saying?! That we should just allow the Clave to villainise my sister?! Your daughter?!”

“This isn’t easy for me either!” Maryse snapped, tears shining in her eyes. “But they’ve already made up their minds, Alec. There’s no changing it now. Izzy will either be deruned or ki-” Her voice broke, and she took Alec by the shoulders. “Please, Alec. Please, I can’t lose two of my children. I’ve already lost one. Please. I’m begging you, let her go. Don’t incriminate yourself, please.” 

“You might have given up,” Alec said coldly, stepping away from her, “but I haven’t. I’m going to get Izzy back and I’m going to clear her name or die trying. Because unlike you and Dad, loyalty means something to me. You wouldn’t understand that. You’ve never been loyal to anything in your life.” He turned on his heel, faltering for a second when he heard Maryse start to cry, but he hardened his face and kept walking. He didn’t stop until he reached Magnus’ loft, and when he got there he forgot to even knock, striding right into the living room. 

“Oh, shite.” 

Alec looked up from his boots, his eyebrows furrowed, to see Ragnor Fell sitting on Magnus’ sofa next to Catarina. “Uhh…”

“Alexander…” Magnus said slowly, “I can explain.”

“You’re supposed to be dead.” Alec accused, pointing at Ragnor. 

Ragnor shrugged sheepishly. “Yes, I suppose I am.” 

Alec blinked. “Alright. You know what, I don’t even want to know. I’ll go.” 

“Alec, look at you.” Catarina stood up, putting an arm out to stop him. “You’re shaking. Come and sit down.” 

With a glance down at his hands, Alec realised that Catarina was right; he was shaking, visibly so. He glanced up at Magnus, who had a worried look on his face. He sighed and sank down on the couch, squished up against Ragnor as Cat sat back down. Magnus sat in the armchair opposite them. 

“They’ve decided Izzy’s part of the Circle.” Alec muttered, wringing his hands. “They’ve declared her wanted dead or alive.” 

“We know,” Magnus admitted, “Aldertree sent out an APB to all the downworld leaders. Don’t worry, I didn’t forward it to the other warlocks. Izzy is at least safe from them.” 

Alec nodded, licking his lips. “Thank you.” 

“What are you going to do?” Cat asked, rubbing his arm. 

“I…” What was he going to do? He looked up at the ceiling, overwhelmed, and Ragnor squeezed his knee.

“Alexander, I’ve known you a long time. Longer than either of these two,” he said gently. “You will find your sister. There is nothing in this world that could keep the two of you apart for long. I’ve met a lot of sets of parabatai, but I’ve never, ever known parabatai like the two of you. You breathe in, and she breathes out. You will find a way back to each other. I don’t doubt that for a moment.” He sighed, turning to face Alec a little more. “So all that remains to ask is what do you need from us?” 

Alec looked at Magnus, who was still for a long moment. Eventually, though, he nodded, lips pursed. 

“Hey,” Alec stood, swallowing hard. “Can we talk?” 

“We’ll go and fetch some food.” Catarina insisted, tugging Ragnor up off the sofa and out of the apartment. When the door closed behind them, Alec sucked his lower lip into his mouth.

“I’m not good at apologies.” Alec confessed, watching as Magnus got up to pour himself another drink. “I don’t really… Do it, often.” 

Magnus looked at him through slightly narrowed eyes. “Continue…”

“I’m sorry. For yelling at you. It was stupid, I was just upset about Izzy and the Clave. I didn’t mean to take it out on you, and I understand why you don’t want to help me use my rune. I get it. I’m sorry I tried to use my coming out to guilt trip you. That was awful.” 

A small smile quirked Magnus’ lips, and he put his glass down. “Apology accepted,” he said softly, reaching over to fix the collar of Alec’s jacket. “And I have no idea what you were worried about, Alexander, that was an excellent apology.” 

“I rehearsed it all the way over here,” Alec smiled, stepping a little closer. “I know you don’t want to help me, but… Can you trust me to make my own decisions about this? About my body?” 

Magnus regarded Alec for a long moment. “I suppose that if you’ve weighed the risks, then… I’ll help you.” 

Alec closed his eyes, relief washing over him. “Thank you.” He squeezed Magnus’ hand. “And now… What the hell is Ragnor doing here?” 

“Ah, yes…” Magnus grimaced, his thumb rubbing across the back of Alec’s hand. “I’m sorry I lied to you about that. But the Clave has to believe that Ragnor is dead. They were hunting him, accused him of brainwashing you and Izzy and all his other students. The only way he could live his life is to make them think he was dead.” 

“They think Ragnor brainwashed us?! That’s ridiculous!” Alec scoffed. “Ragnor was the first person to tell me that what I was feeling about my gender was real. The second that Valentine is dealt with, I promise I’ll do everything I can to help.” 

“He’s got it covered, I think.” Magnus assured him, “besides, you’re on thin ice with the Clave. You need to keep your head down for a while.” 

Alec sighed, nodding. “They’re probably watching every move I make. I guess it’s probably best if I stay away from him.” 

Magnus smiled. “I didn’t want to say it, but yes.”

Alec snorted, pulling Magnus in for a hug. “I missed you.” 

“I saw you two hours ago,” Magnus said, rubbing Alec’s back. He had to admit, though, he had hated being apart from Alexander while they were fighting.

“Yeah,” Alec huffed, “never said I wasn’t clingy.” 

Magnus chuckled, kissing Alec’s shoulder. “Alright, let’s find your sister.” He murmured, pulling back slowly. Alec nodded and peeled off his shirt, leaving him in his cropped binder. Magnus cleared his throat, tearing his eyes from Alec’s arms and abs, fixing them on the couch. Was he ever going to get used to that view?

“You’re allowed to look, you know that, right?” Alec blurted out, ducking his head to make eye contact with the other man.

“I’m trying not to get distracted,” Magnus replied, “besides, I’m a gentleman. I wouldn’t want to make you uncomfortable.” 

Alec grumbled a little as he lay down on the couch. “Being a gentleman is overrated.” 

“Noted,” Magnus smirked, rolling up his sleeves. “I’ll remind you of that the second Izzy’s safe.” 

Alec put his stele to his parabatai rune, and closed his eyes. “Alright, now.” 

Magnus summoned numbing magic to his hands, and directed it at Alec’s body, pausing when Alec’s eyes snapped open and he held up a hand. 

“Wait! I can feel her!” He snatched his shirt up and yanked it over his head. “She’s in Brooklyn, not far. I gotta call Clary!” 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Izzy’s on dry land,” Clary hissed to Jocelyn as she hung up the phone, looking around to make sure no-one overheard her. “I have to go.” 

“I’m coming with you,” Jocelyn insisted, “Valentine must be with her. This could be our only chance to kill him.” 

Clary wasn’t exactly opposed to the idea of Valentine being put down, but she was surprised that her mother was so hell-bent on killing her ex-husband, and she knew Izzy and Alec would be mad if they didn’t bring Valentine in alive. “I think the plan is to catch him and bring him in.” 

“Let’s just see what happens, hmm?” Jocelyn put a crossbow on her back, sheathing a dagger at her hip, and led the way out of the institute. 

“Did you ever actually divorce him?” Clary asked tentatively, falling in step next to her mother as they headed towards Brooklyn. 

Jocelyn glanced at Clary out of the corner of her eye. “He thought I was dead.” 

“Right,” Clary frowned, tying her hair up in a ponytail. It had gotten in the way in the fight at Camille’s, and she wasn’t about to make that mistake again. 

“He’s your father, Clary, but he’s not your Dad.” Jocelyn sighed.

“I know,” she answered, “Luke has always been my Dad. Maybe now everything is out in the open, you and Luke could finally get married.” 

Jocelyn snorted. “If we survive this.” 

“I like our odds,” Clary said lightly, shoving her hands in her pockets, “you haven’t seen the magic Alec can work with a bow, and Izzy’s no slouch, either.” 

“And you haven’t seen Valentine’s full strength.” 

Clary pressed her lips together, glad to see Alec and Magnus in the distance. She broke into a jog, and Alec clapped her on the shoulder when she got close enough. He nodded at Jocelyn, who ignored him, her eyes roving the area. 

“Where are they?” She demanded, and Alec pointed towards to the building where he could feel Izzy’s anxiety. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“You see what happens what demon blood is allowed to fester, unchecked?” Valentine hissed in Izzy’s ear, making her shudder in disgust. All around her were the drained bodies of young teenagers, and she tensed when she heard footsteps from down the hall. She went to grab for her whip, before remembering that she was still handcuffed. 

“I didn’t order take-out.” The vampire mused, her face absolutely covered in blood. She stalked towards Izzy and Valentine like a predator, and Izzy put her hands up in front of her.

“I’m not here to hurt you,” Izzy assured her, “I can get you help, so you can learn to control your impulses. It’s not your fault.” 

Valentine scoffed, twirling a stake in his hand. “She doesn’t speak for the both of us.” 

The vampire hissed at him, fangs dropping. Valentine raised the wooden stake, and the vampire put up her hands. “I surrender to the Clave!” She proclaimed, and Izzy blocked Valentine’s body with her own. “I know my rights.” 

“You see? These monsters are using the Clave’s mercy against them!” Valentine pointed out, and Izzy rolled her eyes.

“What difference does it make? The Clave will take her into custody and try and rehabilitate her, and if not, she’ll live out her life in the Gard. She won’t hurt anybody else. So what does it matter?” Izzy asked.

The vampire shrugged.

Valentine threw the stake at the vampire, his aim deadly. She burst into a flurry of orange sparks, and Izzy’s throat closed up. “And what happens when the prisons fill up?” He asked her calmly, retrieving his stake. 

“She surrendered!”

“She murdered children!” Valentine roared, pointing to the bodies at their feet. “Why should she be allowed to live her life when she divested so many innocent souls of their chance?” 

Izzy’s gaze didn’t waver. “You are not god. It is not your place to decide who lives and dies. Killing should be used as a last resort.” 

“Could you look in the eyes of the parents of these children and tell them that?” 

“Yes,” Izzy answered, raising her chin. 

Valentine didn’t respond, staring at her for a long moment. She didn’t blink, her eyes steely where they met his. “You are so very like your mother.” 

“I am nothing like my mother.” Izzy spat.

Valentine smirked, and grabbed her elbow. “You don’t know your mother like I do.”

Izzy dreaded to think what he meant by that, and she let him drag her outside. With any luck… Her heart jumped to her throat as she caught sight of Alec and Magnus coming around the corner as Valentine pulled her out through the door. She made eye contact with Alec, who grinned from ear to ear, and nodded. Izzy spun around and elbowed Valentine in the face, stamping on his foot and kneeing him in the stomach. 

“Mom, what are you doing?!” Izzy heard Clary cry out, and as Valentine straightened up, she felt a white-hot pain spread through her shoulder, and she stumbled forward with the force of it, right into Valentine’s arms. She heard Alec’s shout, and footsteps thundering towards them, but Valentine was yanking her through another portal, and her shoulder was on fire. As she found her balance on the deck of the ship once more, her hand flew up to where the crossbow bolt was sticking out of her, her vision swimming at the sight of it. 

“Hold her still.” Valentine ordered. “Brace yourself, Isabelle.” He muttered, wrapping his hands around the bolt.

“N-no, don’t, wait!” She yelped, but it was too late. He pulled it out of her shoulder, Izzy screaming in agony. He draw an iratze on her arm, and another right over the wound. Izzy grunted as it kicked in, the pain melting away to an ache. 

“You see?” He sneered, unclipping her handcuffs. “The Clave and their shadowhunters are not to be trusted.” 

Izzy was too breathless to say anything. 

What the hell was that?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“What the fuck are you doing?!” Alec shouted, snatching Jocelyn’s crossbow from her as he advanced on her.

“You shot Izzy!” Clary yelled, stepping to Alec’s side. 

“She was trying to kill Valentine by any means necessary.” Magnus sneered. “And here I thought you might have gotten some perspective since the last time I saw you.” 

“He has to be stopped.” Jocelyn implored Clary, “there’s always collateral damage in war.” 

“Don’t you dare act like Izzy is simple collateral damage.” Clary snarled, “I told you that she was important to me. Valentine wasn’t even close enough to her to get hit by that bolt!”

“You weren’t even close to a shot at Valentine.” Alec scoffed, shaking his head. “You just wanted Izzy out the way so he couldn’t use her as a shield.” He doubled over, grasping his shoulder as the ghost of Izzy’s pain hit him. “Fuck.” 

“Alexander, are you alright?” Magnus grasped his arm, eyebrows furrowed in concern. 

Alec nodded, wincing as he straightened back up. “Think she’s got a healing rune, the pain is fading. She’s okay.”

“No thanks to you.” Clary said coldly, glaring at her mother. “We all sacrificed a lot to save you. And for what? For you to try killing the most important person outside the family. I don’t even know what to say.” 

Jocelyn swallowed hard, looking beseechingly at her daughter. “I didn’t want him to get away again.” 

“Stay away from me.” Clary shook her head, turning on her heel and striding off. Magnus and Alec started following her without a backwards glance, Alec still carrying Jocelyn’s crossbow. Her lip wobbled as she went, and Magnus wrapped her hand up in his, squeezing gently. “She’s a monster, just like him.”

“Shadowhunters are all the same. At least,” Magnus glanced at Alec out of the corner of his eyes, “that generation is.”

“The main thing is that Izzy is alright.” Alec told them, and himself. “I’ll be damned if I let Jocelyn anywhere near this investigation after this. We’re on our own.”

“Fine with me,” Clary sniffed, her green eyes hardening. “All that matters is getting Izzy back.”


	2. Episode 2: A Door Into The Dark

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm posting early because I'm gonna be away at a festival this weekend - Episode 3 will up on the 12th August!
> 
> TRIGGER WARNINGS:
> 
> Misogyny: Valentine urges Izzy to ‘breed’ because her ‘bloodline is strong’. He’s a prick, we know this.
> 
> Transphobia: Valentine starts to misgender Alec but Izzy interrupts him. He refers to Alec as ‘useless’ because his hormone treatment has rendered him infertile.
> 
> Assumption of sexual assault: Izzy assumes that Valentine intends to rape her, but he assures her that that is not the case. He refers to Izzy ‘choosing’ a father for her children - rape is not something he’s considered. 
> 
> Homophobia: Valentine refers to Izzy and Clary’s attraction to each other as a ‘foolish impulse’ and asks her what she will ‘gain’ from it. Later on, Valentine tries to ruin their relationship.
> 
> Child abuse: Jocelyn tells Clary that Valentine experimented on her. Valentine refers to Clary as ‘a weapon and nothing more’.
> 
> References to abusive relationships: Magnus talks briefly about his experiences with Camille with Alec, and then goes with Simon to her house, where he reflects on his time with her. He references her cheating and emotional manipulation.
> 
> Violence: Alec fights a mundane in the fight club. Valentine hits Izzy once.
> 
> Gender dysphoria: Alec is briefly glamoured as a cis man and it freaks him out a bit. 
> 
> Suicide: A circle member cuts his own throat, same as in canon. Additionally, Magnus finds the dagger that his mother used to kill herself and reflects on that. Alec reflects on suicidal tendencies he used to have but has now gotten over, but not graphically. At the end of the chapter, Izzy threatens to kill herself and Clary by throwing them against the ship’s wards.
> 
> Manipulation: Dot manipulates Clary using her magic to convince her that she’s evil, but later apologises and makes up for it. Izzy manipulates Valentine into losing his temper.
> 
> Murder/death: Clary sees a vision of herself destroying humanity.
> 
> Fragile masculinity: Valentine has the most fragile masculinity in the world and he gets really mad when Izzy brings up Luke.

The way Valentine treated her shifted after the incident with the vampire, Izzy noticed. She wasn’t kept in a cage anymore. Instead, she was allowed to wander freely around the ship, with two guards flanking her constantly. Every now and then, he’d find her to rant, but otherwise he left her alone, no doubt planning something heinous. 

Dot wouldn’t speak to Izzy now that she had the two guards, so Izzy was at a loss as to how she was supposed to escape. The only way she could think of was to sink the ship, but if the warlocks and Seelies’ wards were all the way around the bottom of the ship, they’d all be trapped in a magical bubble with water pouring in. There were just too many variables. She was alert always, but content to watch what was going on, for the moment. If Valentine took her to the city again, Alec would find them again, and this time he wouldn’t bring anybody else. She knew the way he thought. 

She just had to sit tight and wait. 

“I just heard reports that a couple of shadowhunters were killed in Florida trying to subdue a rogue wolf alpha.” Valentine told her, falling into step next to her as she strolled along the deck. “Our numbers are dwindling by the minute.”

“That’s a shame.” Izzy answered, “but it’s the danger of being a shadowhunter.” 

“That it is,” Valentine allowed, squinting at the horizon, “but aren’t you worried that the shadowhunters will eventually die out?” 

Izzy pursed her lips. “I think if anything you’re contributing to shadowhunter deaths with this civil war.” 

“A short term loss is unfortunate, yes. But once the Clave is overthrown, we can focus on breeding.” 

“Breeding,” Izzy snorted. “Romantic.” 

“It may not be romantic, but it is necessary.” Valentine shrugged, grasping Izzy’s elbow and stopping. “Everyone must do their duty to keep the shadowhunters strong. 

Izzy raised her eyebrow. “And you think because I’m in my early twenties, I’m going to pop out a bunch of kids. So that’s why I’m important.” 

“You’re highborn, your bloodline is strong. God knows that your si-”

“Don’t talk about my brother.” Izzy warned, her eye twitching. 

Valentine held up his hands. “The one you call Alec is useless, now. All those strange mundane chemicals in the bloodstream… A shame.” He mused, “but you, you will be a wonderful mother.” 

“If you try putting your hands on me I will bite your tongue out of your mouth.” Izzy snarled, but Valentine held up his hands. 

“Never fear. My blood is tainted with demon blood. An unfortunate sacrifice. No, you’ll choose a Herondale, or a Branwell. Perhaps a Morganstern cousin.” 

“I have one Morganstern,” Izzy looked out to sea, leaning on the guard rail. “And she’s more than enough for me.” 

“You and Clarissa cannot afford to… Mess around with this foolish… Impulse. You have a duty.” Valentine hissed. 

Izzy fought the urge to roll her eyes. “If you have your way, there won’t be any demons or downworlders to fight anyway, so what does it matter if I’m in love with a woman?” 

“Love?” 

Love?

Izzy’s eyes widened a little, her heart racing. This was not the best time to come to the realisation that you were falling in love. 

“Isabelle,” Valentine said lowly, his voice even. “What do you gain from being involved with Clary? The Clave will hate you, I won’t stand for homosexuality among shadowhunters, and-”

“What do I gain?” Izzy repeated, turning to face him. “I gain happiness. And love. And a feeling of belonging.” She shook her head, looking Valentine up and down. “Have you forgotten what those things feel like.

For once, Valentine was quiet. He looked away from her and out at the ocean. 

The two of them stood there in silence for a long time, both their minds full of Fairchild women. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Clary, I need to tell you something. Something that you don’t know.” Jocelyn cornered Clary in her room. 

“I don’t want to hear anything you have to say.” Clary scoffed, angrily folding the laundry on her bed to give her hands something to do.   
“This is important.”

“Izzy is important, too.” Clary snapped.

Jocelyn put her hands on her hips. “Your father did experiments on you as well as on Jonathan.” She blurted out, and Clary paused. 

“What…?”

“He injected you as well. With demon blood. So I need to keep you away from him. He could wake up that demonic corruption inside of you, and you’d be lost.” Jocelyn explained, her hands going to Clary’s arms. “Now do you see why it is so important that he dies?” 

Clary took a moment to process it, her mind racing. It explained why she took to training so quickly, her instincts, how she knew exactly where to stab that shadowhunter to kill him… It all made sense. Jocelyn shook her a little, and Clary came back to the room, shaking her head a little. 

“There’s already corruption in me,” she muttered, breaking free of her mother’s hold. “Valentine doesn’t need to wake it up.” 

“That’s not true-”

“Yes, it is! I killed someone! Not demons, Mom! A person. With a family. I didn’t even have to think about it.” Clary sat down on the bed, looking down at her hands. “And I know I’m supposed to feel guilty. But I feel… Nothing.”

Jocelyn sat down next to her, taking Clary’s hands. “You are nothing like Jonathan. You have a good heart.” 

“I’m gonna go and talk to Alec.” Clary said quietly, pulling her hands free and walking out the door, leaving Jocelyn sitting on the bed alone.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“You don’t have to stay,” Alec said as he and Magnus walked into his room. “I’m probably not great company right now.”

“When was the last time you ate a real meal?” Magnus asked, tilting his head to the side. “You’ll be no good against Valentine if you’re faint and hungry.” 

Alec sighed. “I don’t remember. Had a peanut butter sandwich a few hours ago.” 

“Well, that’s something. How about I pick us something up and we can look into our options. I’ve got nowhere else to be.” 

“Ragnor needs help moving out,” Alec pointed out, half joking. “If they Clave finds out that you’re hiding him, your ass will be on the line too.” 

Magnus shrugged. “Honestly, after seeing him die like that, in front of me… I don’t want him to go into hiding again, not yet.” 

Alec squeezed his hand. “I get it.” He hesitated for a moment. “Were you and him…?”

“God, no,” Magnus snorted, shaking his head. “He took me in after… Uh, when I was young. He made me the man I am today. He was my mentor. Still is, really, I always ask him for advice. But don’t tell anyone that.” He winked.

“He was good to me, too.” Alec agreed, “I’m used to death, with all this, but I couldn’t believe it when Clary and Izzy told me he’d died. Makes a lot more sense that he faked his death. It’s…” Alec chuckled, “pretty on-brand, really.”

“Yes, in hindsight, I don’t know how I believed for a second that he was killed by a shax demon.” Magnus admitted, smiling a little. “Bastard.” 

Alec chuckled, wrapping his arms around Magnus’ waist. “I’m glad he’s safe. But really, he needs to leave New York sooner rather than later. I know it’ll be hard, but it’s for his own good. I don’t think my word on his character will hold much sway considering he’s accused of brainwashing me.” 

Magnus nodded, hugging Alec close. “I know. I’ll talk to him about it. Suggest a sojourn to Rio.” 

They stood there holding each other for a minute, Alec’s hands at the base of Magnus’ spine and Magnus’ roamed up and down Alec’s back. “I like this,” Alec murmured, pressing his face into Magnus’ hair.

“I like it too,” Magnus said, a smile in his voice. “I could stand like this all day, but we need to eat.” He pulled back with a happy sigh, his thumb brushing Alec’s cheek as he went. “Pizza? Chinese food? Burritos?”

“You eat pizza?” 

Magnus grinned. “It’s flattering that you seem to think I’m too sophisticated for pizza.”

“I can’t imagine you eating anything cooked by anything less than a chef.” Alec teased, “you have expensive taste.” 

“Dominos is plenty expensive,” Magnus shrugged, which made Alec laugh. “Pizza?”

“Yeah, that sounds good.” 

“Oh,” Magnus took Alec by the shoulders, looking into his eyes seriously. “What are your opinions on pineapple?” 

“On pizza?” Alec wrinkled his nose. “It goes against everything I believe in. What’s next? Banana on pizza?!

“There is a line,” Magnus shook his head, “and you just crossed it.” He tutted, turning away dramatically. “Well, Alexander, this has been a beautiful, but brief, love affair, but I’m afraid we’ll have to break up.” 

“Shut up,” Alec snorted, catching Magnus around the waist from behind and kissing his shoulder. “I’d eat 1,000 pineapple and banana pizzas for you.” 

“That’s…” Magnus beamed, leaning back into Alec’s hold. “That’s perhaps the most romantic thing anyone’s ever said to me this century.” 

Alec went on his tiptoes to bend his head over Magnus’ shoulder to kiss him. After a few pecks, Magnus turned around in his arms to kiss him deeper, knotting his hands in Alec’s hair. 

“Oh.” 

The two men jumped apart, heads snapping to Alec’s bedroom door, which was slightly ajar, with Clary’s head poking through it. “Clary,” Alec cleared his throat, putting his hands on his hips. “What’s up?” 

“I can come back,” Clary assured them, and both Alec and Magnus started protesting.

“I have to go and order the pizza anyway,” Magnus smiled, stepping away from Alec and past Clary, pulling his phone out of his pocket as he went. Clary smirked at Alec as she let herself into the room. 

“That looked intense.” 

“Shut up,” Alec huffed, scratching the back of his neck. “Do you have news?” 

Clary’s smile faded, and she sat down on the bed. “Yes. But not about Izzy. My Mom just told me something about Valentine’s experiments.” 

“And?” Alec asked. He had a feeling that it was something big, something that had Clary shaken. Picking up the jacket slung there, he sat next to her on the bed. “What is it?” 

“Valentine didn’t just experiment on Jonathan. He experimented on me, too.” Clary said quietly, picking at her fingernails. “Apparently, I have demon blood like he did.” 

Alec looked at her, his eyebrows furrowed. “But that doesn’t make any sense.” 

“None of this makes any sense.” 

“I mean, I thought you were naturally talented. But demon blood? Surely you’d have some kind of physical manifestation…” 

“I don’t know. All I know is I should be getting eaten up with guilt about killing those shadowhunters at Camille’s. And I just don’t feel it.” Clary confessed, shifting to sit on her hands. She glanced at Alec, who was staring at his knees in confusion. “Does this mean I’m dangerous?” 

“I’m not sure.” Alec answered quietly. “I mean, downworlders do fine with demon blood, but… You and I aren’t built for it. And judging by the files on your brother’s childhood…” 

“Am I a danger to Izzy?” 

Alec chewed the inside of his cheek. “I don’t know.” 

Clary sighed, rubbing her thighs. Alec gave her knee a gentle squeeze. “I should go, let you and Magnus have your little date.” She smiled, getting up from the bed. 

“It’s not a date, we’re just gonna go over some theories and eat some pizza. Our first date is NOT gonna be in this institute.” Alec huffed, leaning back on his hands. “This is… A working dinner. Doesn’t count.”

“Sure,” Clary drawled. “Sure, Alec.” 

Alec scowled at the doorway as she disappeared round the corner, then hurried over to his closet to change into something a little nicer. He chose his one nice shirt, a slate grey button-down that was a little bit snug on the chest, but it was the best he could do. He was debating on whether or not to do up the top button or not when Magnus wandered in holding a pizza box and a bottle of what looked like wine.

“You changed? Suddenly I feel undressed.” Magnus teased, which made Alec laugh.

“You’ve never been underdressed a day in your life,” Alec insisted, and Magnus shrugged. He fiddled with his shirt cuffs for a moment. “This, uh… I wanted to look nice, it’s our first date.” 

Magnus raised an eyebrow at him, setting the pizza down on Alec’s desk and flipping the lid. “You have another thing coming if you think I’d settle for pizza and an interrupted make out session as my first date with you. We’re going at least 200 miles away for our first date.” 

“Yeah?” Alec perched on the edge of the desk, letting Magnus take his chair. “Then what does that make this?” 

After a moment of consideration and a surprisingly indelicate bite of pizza, Magnus said, “official Clave business?” 

“God, any mood we had going on is officially killed,” Alec groaned, picking up a slice of pizza. 

“Mission accomplished.” Magnus grinned, licking at a smudge of tomato sauce at the corner of his mouth.

Alec shifted, resting his feet on the armrest of Magnus’ chair. “Magnus… Just so I know… Is your hesitation about wanting to wait until we’re official, or… Is it because I’m…?” He didn’t look at Magnus as he asked, focussed on picking the burnt cheese off the crust of his pizza.

“Alexander, there’s nothing about you that I’m not…” He cleared his throat, “attracted to. But, despite what the Clave might say about me, I like to take things a little slow when I have genuine feelings for somebody. Besides, I feel like perhaps you’re subconsciously trying to distract yourself from what’s happening with Izzy. And it would be wrong for me to take advantage of that.” Magnus leaned forward, smoothing his hand down Alec’s arm. “I promise you it has nothing to do with the fact that you’re trans.” 

Nodding, Alec smiled a little. “Okay. Good. I knew it probably wasn’t that, I just…” He shrugged, stuffing half the pizza slice in his mouth to avoid finishing the sentence.

“I get it. Trust me, I have my fair share of insecurities, too.” 

Alec frowned a little, swallowing before he really should’ve, wincing at the way the huge lump of food slid down his throat. “What do you have to be insecure about? You’re beautiful.” 

The slice of pizza that Magnus just picked up froze mid-air, his dark eyes wide and a little taken aback. Alec just continued looking at him, genuinely confused. “I, um…” Magnus put the slice down, conjuring a napkin to wipe his fingers. “When you’ve lived as long as I have, you’re bound to pick up some emotional baggage on the way.” 

“Like… Camille?” Alec prodded cautiously, and Magnus nodded.

“Exactly like Camille.” Magnus sighed, opening the bottle of wine. 

“Sorry,” Alec cringed, “should I not have…?”

“Probably not,” Magnus chuckled, winking to let Alec know he was mostly joking. “But she was awful to me. And it took a long time for me to see it. So I worry that I’m a bad judge of character. But considering that you are one of the few people I’ve dated who both Catarina and Ragnor adored, I think I’m not too far off the mark this time.” 

Alec smiled, resting his elbows on his knees. “I like you so much. And I don’t wanna screw this up, I promise I’m gonna try my best. I’ve never dated anybody before, so I’m probably gonna be clueless and awful at everything, but… I want to be good to you.”

Magnus bit his lip to keep from grinning. “Is this going to be a habit, you regaling me with beautiful romantic speeches every time we have a conversation?” 

“That was a romantic speech?!”

“It was honest.” Magnus tilted his head to the side. “And refreshing.” 

“Well… One time when me and Izzy went clubbing some girl called me a ‘tall glass of ice water’ so that makes sense.” Alec shrugged, chewing on a piece of crust. 

“I, uh… I don’t think that’s what she meant, Alexander.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next morning, Alec got up in a good mood and made his way to the kitchen. It wasn’t until he’d poured two cups of coffee and pulled out his phone to text Izzy that he remembered. Gripping the side of the counter, he stared down into Izzy’s mug and felt his lungs freeze. She wasn’t here. She wasn’t here because she’d been kidnapped, and Alec had no idea where she was. 

“Mister Lightwood,” Aldertree said from behind him, and Alec looked back over his shoulder. “Briefing in fifteen minutes. We have a lead on Valentine, and I am allowing you out into the field with Raj as your partner.” 

“Raj…?” Alec repeated, turning around to face him. “Why not Clary?” 

“Miss Fray is to remain here with her mother. The Clave wants them to be kept as safe as possible from Valentine.” Aldertree reached past him to pick an apple from the fruit bowl. “Fifteen minutes.” 

Alec nodded, picking up Izzy’s mug and bringing it to his lips. It felt wrong, using her Einstein mug, but it did ease his anxiety, so he poured the coffee in his own moustache mug down the sink and nursed Izzy’s, instead. He needed to get her back soon. Every day he had this feeling of growing dread; the longer she was stuck with Valentine, the more damage he could be doing to her. She wasn’t in physical pain, he knew that, but… Jocelyn’s intent on killing him, as his ex wife, scared Alec. If she, of all people, was so scared of him that she’d put down an innocent to kill him, then Valentine must be abusive personally as well as politically. And Izzy was… Outspoken, to say the least. The two of them together would be a nightmare, and Valentine held all the power.

He’d never given much thought to the religious side of his shadowhunter upbringing, but he took a moment to send a prayer to the angel that Izzy would stay safe before making his way to the briefing room, where the other shadowhunters were already gathered. Clary was notably absent, as was Jocelyn, and Alec went to stand besides Raj as Aldertree started speaking. 

“New York’s best mundane fighters are going missing in gyms, boxing clubs, and illegal fight clubs all over town. We suspect that Valentine is kidnapping them in order to turn them into shadowhunters. The stronger the mundane, the stronger the shadowhunter. As of yet the mundane police have no leads, though witness reports mention tattooed strangers turning up a few days before the victims disappear. You will all pair up and go to an assigned possible target and wait to see if any Circle members turn up. Of course, you’ll all glamour your runes so as not to arouse suspicion. I’ve already given you all your partner assignments. May the angel be with you.” 

Raj turned to Alec, handing him a file. “We’ve been sent to an illegal fight club in the Bronx.”

“You okay with working with me?” Alec asked, flipping through the reports on the club. 

“Sure, why wouldn’t I be?”

Alec shrugged one shoulder, leading the way from the institute. “I didn’t think you liked me very much.” 

“Well, I didn’t used to.” Raj admitted. “I thought you were a snobby stickler for the rules. But the way you’ve handled all this Valentine garbage…” He smiled, “turns out you hate them as much as I do.” 

Alec quirked an eyebrow at him. “It’s a good thing I do, otherwise that last sentence could get you banished.” 

“Please,” Raj huffed, “it would be a blessing to get deruned.” 

“Then why are you still here?” Alec asked. Izzy had expressed the same kind of sentiment, but the thought of life as a mundane scared the shit out of Alec. He had no idea what he’d do with his time. 

“Because one, you don’t just leave the Clave. And two, I want to help stop Valentine. My sister got turned into a werewolf a few years ago, and I want her to be safe.” Raj explained, checking the map in his hand. 

“Wait, what?!” Alec’s eyes widened. “My Mom said she died in Toronto.” 

Raj snorted. “Well, she would, wouldn’t she? As far as the Clave is concerned, she died the second she got scratched. Nah, she’s fine. Living in San Fran. My parents didn’t want her near me, but we skype all the time.” 

Alec shook his head. “Fucking hell, I am… Every time I learn something new about the way we all live, I just…”

“I know,” Raj sighed. “It’s beyond fucked up.” 

“Yeah.” Alec muttered, “I’m sorry that people are so prejudiced.”

“I figure you get that feeling better than most around here,” Raj shrugged. “I’m sorry I wasn’t more supportive of you before.” 

“No, no, listen, I spent weeks saying how sorry I was about your sister, that must have come off so bad, I’m so sorry, Raj.” Alec felt awful. What Raj must have thought…

“It’s cool. Makes a lot more sense now that I know you thought she was dead.” He smirked a little, “good to know you’re not a total asshole.” 

“Same here,” Alec teased, glancing up at the run-down building next to them. “You think this is it?” 

Raj glanced at the photograph in the file they’d been given. “Yeah, this looks like it. How are we playing this?” 

“Let’s just see what happens. There’ll probably be an obvious target when we get inside.” 

The interior of the fight club was just as shabby as the outside; the room was gutted, with only a few bare lightblubs hanging down from the ceiling. There were a few lockers scattered around, but that was just about it. Raj and Alec glamoured their runes before stepping into the light, catching sight of four or five men gathered around a larger one. He looked like a giant; tall and hulking, with huge hands. He was talking to the other men, but stopped when he heard Raj and Alec’s footsteps, turning to look at them.

“We want in.” Alec announced, straightening his spine. The man looked him up and down, glanced at Raj behind him, and laughed, tossing his head back. 

“Go home, pretty boy.” 

Alec snorted, folding his arms. “How about I stay and show you what I got, instead?” 

The men started mumbling at each other, looking at Alec doubtfully. Alec flicked his stele across his strength rune in the small of his back, smiling serenely as the men eyeballed him. Raj stood next to him, ready if they all decided to go for Alec, but the biggest man seemed to want the challenge for himself.

“You’re on. But don’t sue me when I break your nose.” 

“Get him, Jones.” One of the other men urged, and “Jones” advanced towards Alec.

Alec shrugged, taking off his jacket and handing it to Raj. Jones swung for Alec before he’d even dropped the garment in Raj’s arms, but he ducked effortlessly out of the way, side-stepping around Jones in a circle as the fighter raised his fists for another punch. Alec swept aside again, using the opportunity to thump Jones right at the top of his spine and the back of his head, stunning him momentarily.

Jones twisted around, tilting his head to the side. “Slippery little boy, aren’t you?” 

Alec smirked, raising his hands flat rather than in fists. When Jones tried to punch, he blocked effortlessly, his eyes on Jones’ face, seeing an opportunity and using it to strike the base of Jonas’ neck and slap him across the face, chuckling as Jones grunted in annoyance. Jones rushed him, catching Alec around the waist and shoving him against the wall. Alec brought his elbow down on the base of Jones’ skull, the breath knocked out of him momentarily, and the two wheeled away from each other once more. Jones was sweating a little, but Alec was only slightly winded, not one beat of perspiration on his brow. 

“You wanna call this thing off?” Alec asked, grinning when Jones bared his teeth at him and went for an almighty punch. Alec caught the fist and used the momentum to flip Jones over his shoulder and toss him down on the floor with a disconcerting crunch.

“Alec!” Raj blanched, and Alec grimaced, peering down at Jones. 

“You alright?” Alec asked.

Jones groaned, but raised his thumb. 

Alec straightened back up and gave a little bow as Raj and the other fight club members started to clap. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

With everyone else out on mission, Clary found herself in her room, sitting on the bed with her back against the headboard. Her sketchpad was in her lap, and her fingers toyed with a piece of charcoal, staring down at the blank page. Over and over again, she went over the events of her life, looking for evidence of her demonic heritage, her heart breaking a little more with every passing minute. She’d always had a fire to her that people often joked was related to her red hair, but now that she knew the truth, it made sense. Her temper had always been quick, and the amount of fights she’d gotten into in school was almost unparalleled. She tended to react with her fists and ask questions later.

All her life, she’d wished that she’d known her father. The face that her mother had given him, that picture of a soldier that neither of them knew, felt like a mockery now. She’d gained strength that her father was a brave soldier, that he was watching over her. The truth could not be further from her mother’s story, though she supposed that was on purpose. 

Clary kept telling herself that demon blood didn’t have to mean anything; both Luke and Magnus had demon blood in their veins, and they were two of the kindest people that Clary knew. No, demon blood didn’t mean that a person was evil. But hearing about her brother, the effect it had on him, and knowing her own reaction to killing that shadowhunter before. The ease with which she killed that first demon, the way she shrugged it off. Was that normal? Alec and Izzy didn’t seem bothered either, but then they had trained their whole lives…

More than anything, Clary wished she had someone who’d been through the same thing, someone to talk to, ask for advice. But the only other shadowhunter that she knew of who had demon blood was her brother, and he was dead. He’d been killed because he was too powerful, and too evil even for Valentine.

What did that make her? 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Alec felt weird glamoured as a cis man. He was very aware of the dick between his legs, and he hoped that Jones’ complexion didn’t make his blush obvious. He’d never been glamoured as another person before, and he kept smoothing his hands down his chest, which seemed to be weirding Raj out a little. 

“Are you okay?” Raj hissed from where he was hiding behind a row of lockers.

“Yeah, fine,” Alec answered, chewing the inside of his cheek. Maybe Raj should’ve been the decoy. He pretended to rummage in the locker in front of him, looking busy. Sure enough, a few moments later a hand landed on Alec’s shoulder, and Raj pounced. He grappled with the Circle member, gaining the upper hand easily and tossing him on the floor. Alec and Raj advanced on him, cornering him. 

“Tell us where Valentine is!” Raj ordered, pulling a seraph blade and pointing it towards the Circle member.

With a grin, the Circle member produced a seraph dagger of his own, and drew it across his own throat, holding eye contact with Raj as he convulsed. Alec huffed and turned away, shaking his head. 

“It’s like the one I captured in Camille’s. They’re under orders to kill themselves or cut out their tongues. Every Circle member we catch is going to do this, they’ve been radicalised. They’re ready to die for Valentine.” He muttered, scratching his temple.

“Yeah, this is a waste of time we’re not getting anything out of these chuckle fucks.” Raj grumbled, sheathing his blade. “Hey, you can unglamour yourself now.” 

Alec looked down at himself, feeling sheepish. “Yeah, sure…” He put his stele to the glamour rune and his skin shimmered, morphing back to his real body. 

Raj clapped him on the shoulder. “That face suits you a lot better, you know.” He assured Alec, which made him smile a little.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When times were hard, Magnus liked to keep himself busy. Currently, he was brewing a potion for the parents of a warlock child who was struggling to control their powers. The potion wasn’t complicated, just a stabilising infusion, but the brewing times were long between ingredients. In hindsight, perhaps Magnus should’ve focussed on a couple of translation jobs instead. He decided to make a pot of coffee while he was waiting for the next step of the potion, and he grabbed his phone on the way to the kitchen. He had a text from Simon asking for a portal to his place. 

After finding out where exactly Simon was, Magnus cast the portal and Simon stumbled through, clutching his stomach. 

“You’ll be fine,” Magnus assured him before he had the chance to open his mouth, “portal travel just takes a couple of tries to get used to.”

“Feels like I just got off a rollercoaster,” Simon grunted, flopping down on the couch. “Magnus, I need your help. I have to find Camille.” 

Magnus hummed and continued on into the kitchen, flicking the machine on. “Not available.” 

“Oh, come on, Magnus!” Simon followed him through, hopping up on the counter. “Raphael is pissed. Aldertree is threatening him which means he’s threatening me. He’s gonna burn my junk off, man!” 

“If Camille doesn’t want to be found, neither you nor Raphael have any hope of finding her.” 

“Which is why I need you!” Simon pointed out.

Magnus pressed his lips together. “Alright. I’ll help you. The potion I’m working on needs time to brew, anyway. I have one idea as to where she might be, but it’s no guarantee.” 

“Anything you can tell me will help.” Simon jumped down from the counter. “So where is she?”

“Agra, probably. It’s her favourite place besides New York.” Magnus explained, turning off the coffee machine and heading back out to the living room. “I can portal us onto her roof, won’t be able to portal inside.”

“But it’s daytime.” 

“Not in Agra.” Magnus reminded him, and Simon nodded. He conjured the portal, swirling his arms, and grasped Simon’s wrist, tugging him along as he stepped through onto Camille’s rooftop. “Welcome to India.” 

Simon’s eyes went wide, and he turned slowly in a circle as the portal disappeared. “Whoa.” 

“Is this your first time outside the States?”

“First time outside New York.” Simon muttered.

Magnus smiled. “Well, enjoy the view. There’s no windows inside.”

“Nah, no time.” Simon sighed, taking one last moment to look at the silhouette of the Taj Mahal on the horizon before yanking the door open and leading Magnus down into Camille’s house. “How big is this place?” Simon asked, whispering like he was in a library.

“Four floors, if I remember rightly. About six rooms on each. Wait a minute…” Magnus stopped short. “This looks very familiar.” He picked up a vase that was set on a pedestal, and turned it over, squinting at the stamp underneath. “That’s because it’s mine. I knew she was the one behind that robbery!” 

“What robbery?!” 

Magnus magicked a sack into his hand, and encased the vase in protective magic before placing it inside. “When I moved to New York, I left my townhouse in London in a hurry, because of my ugly break-up with Camille. When I tried to move my possessions over once I was settled, a lot of them were gone. Of course, I had Ragnor investigate. He was High Warlock at the time, but he couldn’t find any evidence of magic. So naturally we suspected Camille, but we couldn’t prove a damn thing.” 

“She stole all your stuff?!” Simon quirked his eyebrow. “Because you dumped her?” 

“Yes! Well, not all my stuff. Only the things that were precious to me, the sadistic little minx.” Magnus grumbled, walking ahead of Simon and occasionally picking up an object to shove into his little sack, which didn’t seem to be getting any fuller or heavier. “You go ahead, I’m going to look for the rest of my stuff. There’s one thing in particular…” 

“What do I do if I find her? I can’t take her by myself!” Simon caught sight of a couple of swords hanging on the wall, and scurried over to them, taking one from its sheath. 

“You’re a vampire. You have powers. So far you’ve barely used them. You’re a fledgling, barely out of the ground. You have raw strength, and Camille’s never been very good at fighting.” Magnus shrugged, examining a bust. 

Simon gaped at him. “Have you met me?! I couldn’t even encanto the wolves when they were trying to kick me out of the Jade Wolf!” 

“It’s time to grow up, Simon. Some things you have to do. Facing your sire after you let her go is something you have to do. I brought you here,” Magnus glanced at him, “so now you can do the rest.”

“Okay,” Simon breathed, squaring his shoulders. “Okay, let’s do this. But you’ll save me if you hear me scream, right?” 

Magnus rolled his eyes. 

“Right, right, tough love. I get it.” Simon muttered. After one last centering, deep breath, he headed deeper into the house, and Magnus turned his attention to the antiques around him. 

A few rooms over, Magnus found a painting of himself and Camille lounging on a carpet, the two of them with alluring smiles on their faces. He looked at it for a long moment, remembering the churning in his stomach as he sat for it. Camille had been making eyes at the artist the whole time, and once the painting was finished she took him to bed, purring promises at Magnus that she’d think of him the whole time. He knew just as well as she did that it was a lie. His smile in the painting made him angry, and he turned away from it. How could he have let her debase him like that, for so long? Why hadn’t he stood up to her sooner? 

As he turned, he caught sight of a dagger suspended with its point in a ruby, and the air rushed from Magnus’ lungs. He stepped closer, his hand hovering around it for a moment. Without a doubt, it was the same one. It was unique, the shape. It was the dagger that Magnus’ stepfather had gifted his mother to protect herself from evil spirits. Dark, and supposedly blessed with angelic energy, hammered into a crinkle and yet still so sharp. 

Sharp enough to pierce the heart. 

Magnus yanked it out of the ruby, goosebumps erupting on his arms as he ran his thumb along the point. This was the dagger that his mother had used to kill herself, there was no doubt about it. It was one of the few things he remembered from his childhood, so vividly it was like it happened yesterday. How on Earth had Camille come to have it? Before he could come up with any theories, he heard a blood curdling shriek from the floor below, and stuffed the dagger in his bag before hurrying to see what kind of trouble Simon had gotten himself into. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The institute was horrible without Alec or Izzy there. Aldertree had cultivated a tense atmosphere, where everyone was suspected of wrongdoing, and Clary knew she had to get out for a while before she snapped from the heavy silence in the corridors. She went for a walk to Starbucks, easily sneaking past the guard stationed at the side door by throwing a rock over his head and waiting for him to go and investigate where it landed. Sometimes she wondered how nephilim could have trained their whole life and still be so incompetent.

The sun was out, and even though she was a little chilly in her denim overshirt, it felt good to have the spring sun on her face. She was almost at Starbucks when she noticed Dot standing in the middle of an alleyway next to her, and stopped dead in her tracks. Reaching for her stele, she inched towards Dot.

“Dot?” She asked, and the warlock nodded, her hand outstretched.

“It’s me, Clary. This time, it’s me. Come on, I’ll hide you from the Clave.” Dot promised, and Clary narrowed her eyes. 

“How do I know it’s you?” 

Dot sighed, and Clary noticed that she looked exhausted. Not only that, but the blood vessels in her face were pronounced and black, but as she went to step away Dot caught her around the wrist and hurled her through a portal. 

They came out on the deck of a ship, and as Clary straightened up she saw that they were miles from the New York coast. Izzy rushed into her line of sight and fell into her arms as someone snatched her stele from her hands. 

“Welcome home, Clarissa.” Valentine said from behind her, and Clary whirled around to see him patting Dot’s shoulder. “And good work, Dorothea. Now there’s only one member of the family missing.”

“I wish I could say it’s good to see you,” Izzy murmured, grasping Clary’s elbows, “but I’d rather you weren’t here.” 

Clary ran her hand through Izzy’s hair. “This is not the rescue mission I had planned, but-”

“Take Clarissa down to the cells. She has yet to prove her loyalty.” Valentine sneered, directing two burly shadowhunters to grab her. Dot followed behind them, not looking at Izzy.

Izzy said nothing as Clary was led away, turning from Valentine and wandering off down the deck. She’d get plenty of chances to talk to Clary in the coming days, and it was pointless ruining the shaky trust Valentine had in her now, while security around Clary was tight. No, she’d wait a couple of days, wait for Valentine and his goons to relax. 

“I’m not going to tell you anything.” Clary insisted as the shadowhunters pushed her into her cell, “and I’ll never join Valentine, either!” 

“Clary, listen to me.” Dot entreated, walking into her own cell next to Clary’s. “You have to listen to me.” 

As Clary glanced at Dot, Valentine’s shadowhunters disappeared, going back to the duties guarding the door. Dot looked scared, but not scared of her cell. She looked scared of Clary, her shoulders high around her ears. 

“What is it?” Clary asked, stepping close to the bars seperating from the other woman. 

Dot swallowed hard and crossed to stand in front of Clary, putting her shaking hands out to Clary’s face. “It’s easier if I just show you.” 

After a brief hesitation, Clary leaned forward, letting Dot cup her face. Dot’s eyes hardened, and Clary’s vision went white. Images blurred together in her mind’s eyes, flicking so fast she couldn’t tell where one and the next began, but there was a common theme: death and destruction. The images slowed, or Clary’s brain adapted, and suddenly she could see them all in stark detail. Her hand on a sword, a bright red flash, and dead shadowhunters. Dead mundanes. Clary with her eyes burning black, ruling over a world of bones and blood. Demons swarming. Vampires and werewolves run feral. Warlocks bowing to her, on a throne of scarlet skulls. Her own face, twisted and ugly with hatred and power, her features widening into black holes and swallowing the world itself…

Clary fell to the ground on her hands and knees, panting, eyes burning with the power of what she’d seen. For a moment she thought she might vomit, but then it passed, and her chest ached with emptiness, the hollowness overwhelming. She stood, and looked past Dot. 

There really was no fighting demon blood.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When Magnus skidded into the room, it was to see Simon on his knees, both fists in the air. 

“Fuck you, snake!” He yelled, and Magnus stopped short. 

“Snake?” It was then that he spotted Geronimo, the snake he’d enchanted for Camille over a century ago, and bent a little to greet it. Geronimo, sensing his master, slithered over to him and pushed his head into Magnus’ outstretched hand. “There’s my baby,” Magnus cooed, stroking the smooth scales.

“That thing knows you?!” 

“I made him,” Magnus shrugged, straightening up as Geronimo slid back to his basket. “As a gift, for Camille. He’s a very effective guard.” 

Simon gaped at him. “Please never get me a gift. Like, ever.” 

A gentle thud on the ground made the both of them turn around. On the table stood a statue of Geronimo, and in the base there was a noticeable gap. A small wooden box had fallen onto the floor, and Simon swiped it up, holding it up to his face. It seemed pretty ordinary; a puzzle box. Simon’s grandfather had been fond of them. 

“If Geronimo was guarding that,” Magnus hummed, “then there must be something inside that is very valuable to Camille. You may have just found the leverage you need.” 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Izzy was surprised to see Clary running towards her less than an hour later, no guards in sight. She looked around as Clary reached her, eyebrows furrowing. Why would Valentine allow she and Clary to be alone, to have the opportunity to plot?

“Iz,” Clary gasped, her hands gripping Izzy’s wrists tightly. “You have to kill me.” 

“What?!” 

Clary shook her head. “I had a vision, Dot showed me the future. Valentine injected me with demon blood, and when he wakes it up I’m going to be too powerful for him to control. I destroy everything, Iz. Humanity and shadowhunters are wiped out, and demons rise. Downworlders go feral, everything burns. It can’t be allowed to happen.”

“What are you talking about?” Izzy frowned, cupping Clary’s face in her hands. “Demon blood or not, you’re not evil.” 

“You didn’t see it.” Clary gulped.

“I don’t have to. I don’t have to see it to know that it’s impossible.” Izzy insisted, her thumbs caressing Clary’s cheeks. “There is not a force on this planet that could make you do something you don’t want to, Clary Fray.” 

Clary leaned into her touch, closing her eyes. “I… What if…?” She opened her eyes. “What if the demon blood makes me want it?”

“I’ll remind you who you are. No amount of demon blood can change a person. Look at Luke. He’s still strong, and kind, and he knows what’s right. You think the demon blood changed him?” 

Clary shook her head.

“Then what do you have to fear, hmm? I’ve got you. I promise.” Izzy said gently. 

“But what if I hurt you? What if-”

Izzy cut her off with a soft kiss, her hands slipping into Clary’s hair. “You would never,” she whispered against Clary’s lips, rubbing their noses together. “I believe that with everything I have. Believe in yourself like I believe in you.” 

Clary looked into Izzy’s eyes, seeing nothing but earnestness, and leaned in for a deeper kiss. They were just sinking into it, bodies pressing closer, when Clary was wrenched backwards, her eyes flying open to see Valentine pushing between them with a disgusted look on his face. Izzy stood behind him, her chest heaving. 

“You tried to trick us, didn’t you?” Izzy accused, “to try and scare me away from her.” 

Valentine said nothing, pointing to the shadowhunter who’d grabbed Clary’s arm. As ordered, the shadowhunter dragged Clary back down to the prison deck below. The moment Clary was out of sight, Valentine rounded on Izzy, his eyes blazing. 

“She is a weapon and nothing more,” Valentine snarled. “You are delusional.” 

Izzy raised her chin. “You know nothing of your own daughter.” 

Valentine scoffed. “I know her all too well. I saw her older brother kill and maim anything he could get his hands on from the day he was born. Are you so naive to think that she will be any different?” 

“Yeah, I am.” Izzy insisted. “The difference is, her brother was raised by you, a hateful, abusive monster. Clary was loved. Luke and her mother loved her more than you ever could. How does that feel, huh? The fact that a werewolf raised your own child? Bet it makes your blood boi-”

Valentine slapped her so hard that she saw spots, and Izzy smirked. “Do not,” he growled, “speak to me of Lucian Greymark.” 

Izzy spat some blood onto his shoes. “He’s an amazing man. I can see why Jocelyn chose him.” 

She ever so barely flinched when Valentine raised his hand, but the hit never came. Instead, he wheeled away, his hands on his hips. He laughed to himself, panting. Leaning back against the guard rail, Izzy watched him marvelling at just how easy it was to put men on edge. After a couple of minutes of pacing, Valentine walked back to her, his jaw clenched. 

“I’m going to show you what Clary’s capable of.” Valentine sneered, snapping his fingers to call a couple of shadowhunters. 

“She’s going to disappoint you.” Izzy warned him, dread pooling in her stomach as she saw that the men were escorting Dot, who looked exhausted. 

“Make us a portal to the alley next to the Hunter’s Moon.” Valentine ordered. Dot threw up her hands, grimacing as she conjured the portal. “You’re coming with us.” He told her, grabbing her wrist. “We’re going big game hunting.” 

Izzy scoffed at him, sending a silent prayer up to the angel that the wolf he tried to take ripped him to shreds. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“There’s only one move we can make,” Alec sighed, tossing a ball of elastic bands into the air and catching it. He and Raj were in Izzy’s lab, bouncing ideas off each other.

“If you use your rune, it’ll weaken her as well.” Raj reminded him.

Alec groaned, stretching his arms over his head. “What other choice do we have? Now he’s got Clary, our time frame has gone from small to non-existent. If he activates her demon blood, God knows what will happen.”

“True,” Raj allowed, running his hand through his hair. “How stupid was Clary anyway, wandering off by herself when-”

“Are you new? Clary is the Queen of Bad Choices.” Alec snorted. He pulled his phone from his pocket as it started to vibrate, and put it to his ear. “Luke?”

“Alec, how’s the search for Clary and Izzy coming?” He asked.

“Uhhh…”

“Right. Jocelyn and I have something that can help you.” Luke told him.

“I am not taking any help from her,” Alec said flatly. Jocelyn would have killed Izzy without a second thought; she couldn’t be trusted to value her life now.

“I know your sister means a lot to you,” Jocelyn replied, apparently having snatched the phone from Luke, “but Clary means just as much to me. I have an adamas stone. It can help you boost the power of your parabatai rune.” 

Alec stood up slowly. “How did you get it? Only the Iron Sisters have access to adamas stone.” 

“Does it matter? The point is, I need you and you need me.” Jocelyn pressed, “so can we help each other?” 

For a moment, Alec looked at Raj, who just made a cutting motion across his neck. He had absolutely no idea what the other half of the conversation was, but he’d heard terrible things about the adamas stones. “Fine,” Alec sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Get back to the Institute and come straight to my quarters.” 

“Are you insane?!” Raj whisper-yelled, looking at the door to check no-one was nearby, “adamas stones are no fucking joke, man! Hardly anybody survives that shit!” 

Alec gulped. “It’s the only way I can use the bond and not affect Izzy. My soul will do all the legwork. Our bond is strong enough; I’ll be fine.”

Raj didn’t look convinced. “Well, you have to at least tell your Mom.” 

“My…?” Alec blanched. “There’s no way. No way!”

“If it’s such a great idea why wouldn’t you tell her?” 

“Because it’s a terrible idea!” Alec threw up his hands. “But it’s the only idea we’ve got.” 

“What if Magnus did like, some spooky magic protection on your soul? To, like, keep it safe?” Raj wiggled his fingers to emphasise his idea.

“Telling Magnus is a worse idea than telling my Mom.” Alec retorted, “he was barely on board with me using the bond when it was an equal flow of give and take. There’s no way he’d help if he knew I was planning on doing all the leg work.” 

“Yeah, with good reason!” 

“Are you gonna help me or not?” Alec asked, halfway out the door.

Raj groaned, massaging his temples. He considered it for a moment, and then sighed, shoulders slumping. “Yeah,” he muttered, “why not?! Not like you need your soul, you self-sacrificing dumbass.” 

Alec smirked, shrugging his shoulders. “You know, I think you and I could have a beautiful friendship.”

“If you survive this, I’m buying both you and Magnus a drink at the Hunter’s Moon.” Raj promised, letting Alec lead the way to his quarters.

“Stay here a minute, I’m gonna change real quick,” Alec muttered, ducking inside his room to get out of his binder and into a sports bra. God, he couldn’t wait until top surgery. “Alright, I’m good!” He called, putting on a thin t-shirt. “I have a good feeling about this.” 

Raj nodded, sitting nervously on the bed. “Seriously, man, we should tell your Mom before we do this. I’ll get the blame if you do kick the bucket. I’ll get banished, and I won’t survive the winters at-”

“You’re not getting banished because I’m gonna be fine,” Alec insisted, jiggling his leg. “But maybe we should get Mom. She might know more about these stones.” 

“I’ll go find her,” Raj volunteered, more or less running from the room before Alec could change his mind. 

As he waited, he fidgeted, tugging his shirt this way and that until he couldn’t see the waves of his chest in the mirror. All too often in years gone by, he was all too happy to throw himself into danger. It wasn’t that he’d ever considered actually killing himself, not really. He just… Hadn’t minded the idea of dying. In fact, dying young in battle seemed preferable to marriage and adopted kids with a woman he didn’t love. He’d always imagined that as his future, never daring to imagine anything else. But now he had surgery to look forward to. He was curious to see what he’d look like. And Magnus. Magnus had given him a chance to rewrite the story that had been written on his birth. Already, Magnus meant so much to him. He was that flicker of hope, of a will to live, an urge to survive for something other than guilt at how much his family would miss him. He wanted to kiss Magnus again, he wanted to hold Magnus’ hand in public, maybe even in the institute, see what it felt like. He wanted to boop Magnus’ nose for the first time.

There was no way he was dying now. Not for a moment did he entertain the idea, because he knew himself well enough to know that he was too damn stubborn for that shit. He’d fly his soul back to his body kicking and screaming as soon as he located Izzy. He’d do it by sheer force of will.

“Alexander Gideon Lightwood, I have never known you to be so stupid!” Maryse hissed as she stormed into the room, Raj looking sheepish as he followed a few steps behind. “You are not doing this, and that is final.” 

Alec sighed, and looked past Maryse to Raj, who shrugged. “I don’t need your permission, Mom. I just wanted to ask if you had any experience with this kind of thing.”

Maryse shook her head, sitting next to Alec on the bed and taking his hands in hers. “Listen to me, Alec. You have no idea how dangerous this ritual is. Without the help of a Seelie or a warlock you are basically throwing away your life. Why would you do that? You…” She swallowed hard, like her next words physically pained her. “You finally have the things you’ve always wanted. Don’t just toss that away now, not for Izzy. You know she wouldn’t want you to.”

“No, you’re right. She wouldn’t want me to,” Alec allowed, “but you know that if she were sitting here, she would be doing the exact same thing.” 

“And I would be saying the same thing to her. It’s too risky. Valentine will make a move eventually. If we can figure out what that move is…” 

“And how many people will have died in the meantime?” Jocelyn demanded, striding into the room. 

Alec stood up. “Like you give a shit about any of that,” he scoffed. “Do you have the stone?”

Jocelyn nodded, handing it to him without another word.

“Of course it’s you who put this insane idea in my son’s head,” Maryse seethed, clenching her fists at her side. “Just typical of you to use an innocent’s life like this, anything to get back at Valentine for corrupting your lover!” 

Raj’s eyebrows shot up into his hairline. “I should go…”

Alec looked at him beseechingly. 

“What?” He sighed.

“I need you to call Magnus once I’m under.” Alec said quietly, which made Maryse turn on him once more. 

“You haven’t told Magnus?!” She demanded, “I thought the two of you were…”

“He has complicated feelings about me using the parabatai bond.” Alec admitted, squeezing the adamas stone in his hand. 

Maryse hummed, folding her arms. “Perhaps he’s not as bad an influence as I first thought.” 

Alec licked his lips. “We’ll talk about it once Izzy’s back, yeah? He honestly kicks my ass for bad choices as much as you do.” 

Maryse’s’ lips twitched. “If you go through with this and come back, I promise you I’ll make an effort to understand your relationship with Magnus Bane.” 

“Well, there’s no way I can die now, huh?” Alec smiled, scooching up to lie on the bed. Maryse sat down one side of him, and Jocelyn sat on the other. “Alright, I’m ready. Raj, as soon as I’m under-”

“Call Magnus. Yeah, I got it. He’s gonna be so pissed off with you, man.” Raj said grimly, and Alec sighed, closing his eyes.

“Well, yes. But we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it, huh?” 

“Good luck, Alec,” Maryse said in a hushed voice, squeezing his hand. Her eyes looked wet, and Alec squeezed her hand back. 

“Activate your parabatai rune and repeat after me,” Jocelyn said, putting Alec’s stele in his free hand. 

Alec put his stele to the rune on his abdomen, and relaxed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When Clary woke up in her cell, Dot was standing over her, looking guilty. Clary sat up quickly, wrapping her arms around Dot’s neck and hugging her tightly. After a moment of hesitation, Dot hugged her back, her cheek squashed against Clary’s.

“I’m so sorry, Clary.” Dot whispered. “I did a terrible thing.” 

Clary frowned. “It’s not your fault what Valentine did.”

“No, no,” she shook her head, pushing Clary’s hair over her shoulder. “I made up that vision. It’s not true. Valentine had me put it in your mind. I… I betrayed you.” 

It could have been more surprising if Clary didn’t already know how skilled Valentine was at the art of manipulation, but as it was, she found herself totally nonplussed by Dot’s news. “So I’m not dangerous?”

Dot shrugged one shoulder. “Demon blood by itself isn’t dangerous, no… It would just make you stronger.”

“Strong enough to hurt Valentine?”

“You can’t go up against him, Clary, he has an army.” Dot insisted, her eyes going wide.

Clary sighed, nodding.

“I’m sorry.” Dot murmured, shaking her head. “This is all my fault.”

“No!” Clary argued, “none of this is your fault. The only one responsible here is Valentine. I don’t blame you at all, okay? Okay?!” 

Dot gave her a weak smile. “Okay. Alright.” 

“Now, how do we rescue Izzy?” Clary demanded, getting to her feet. 

An hour later, Valentine turned up, and Clary slumped against the bars, putting on the same facial expression she used when she didn’t want to go to school and had to convince her Mom to let her stay at home. It seemed to work, because Valentine didn’t hesitate before unlocking her cell, pulling her out by her elbow to drag her up to the top deck. He let her go as they reached the open air, and Clary broke into a sprint away from him, heading towards Izzy. She was standing with her back to Clary, trying to convince a number of shadowhunters to release the werewolf they had tied up between them.

“Izzy!” Clary shouted, making her turn around. 

Upon seeing Clary running towards her, Izzy took her chance, and snatched a seraph blade from the shadowhunter closest to her. Backing up, she swung the blade to keep the shadowhunters off her, grasping at Clary’s hand with her free one as they met near the head of the ship. Valentine had almost caught up to them, but instead to grabbing for Izzy and Clary he veered off to take the werewolf from the shadowhunters, pressing a seraph dagger into her throat. 

“Let her go!” Izzy shouted, “now!”

“Or what?” Valentine spat, “you and Clarissa have nowhere to go.”

Izzy looked over her shoulder at Clary. “Do you have a plan?” 

“Stall him,” Clary hissed, her eyes locked on Valentine. 

“If you don’t let her go, I’ll throw myself and Clary into these wards. You need us for something. I don’t know what, but I know you need us.” 

Valentine’s eye twitched, and Izzy smirked. Bingo. “You wouldn’t kill yourself. Your parabatai would suffer too much.” 

“Alec’s a big boy,” Izzy retorted, edging her and Clary back towards the guard rail. “Let her go!” 

While Izzy was distracted by Valentine, Clary spotted Dot, who’d followed her and Valentine up to the deck and was now concentrating on breaking free of Valentine’s hold, bringing yellow magic to her hands and throwing it, with great effort, at the wards around the ship. As Dot’s magic hit, Clary threw herself over the guard rail, bringing Izzy with her as she tumbled through a hole in the wards and into the freezing cold water below.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm SO excited for the next chapter to be posted - there's so much good stuff in there.


	3. Episode 3: Parabatai Lost

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was my favourite chapter so far. There's not all that much Alec, but the moments we do get are SO GOOD, if I do say so myself. As always, I'm keeping up with livetweets under #SFPfic - if you don't like commenting, please use the # on twitter as you're reading, it really fires me up and it could mean more regular updates.
> 
> Trigger warnings!
> 
> Casual ableism: The word 'stupid' is used a couple times in this chapter.
> 
> Minor character death: Gretel is depicted dead, but Izzy doesn’t know her name. Maia is hurt by her death.
> 
> Violence: Izzy gets beaten up by some werewolves in the Hunter’s Moon.
> 
> Injury: Izzy has a laceration on her side that's briefly described.
> 
> Attempted murder/threat: Aldertree sort of passively attempts to kill Alec? As in canon, he tries to use Alec as bait to catch Izzy. In this version, there’s the implication that he’s hoping Alec will die. Later on, he threatens to have Alec, Izzy and Magnus killed.
> 
> Grief: Maia is really upset by Gretel’s death, and she loses control of herself and shifts into a werewolf.
> 
> Dysphoria/self-destructive behaviour: Alec remembers when he got his first binder that he knew was too small for him, but he wore it anyway because his dysphoria was so bad.
> 
> Depiction of near-death experience: We see Alec almost dying from his perspective, with darkness surrounding him and trying to pull him down, Obviously, he survives.

Alec came to in an institute training room.

It was familiar to him, but it wasn’t the same one that he was used to. There were huge archery targets, and the windows were different. Yet Alec knew where he was, he just couldn’t remember. He saw himself, a slip of a thing, barely seventeen, with stooped shoulders and a furtive face, like he wasn’t supposed to exist. Behind him came Izzy, as outgoing as ever, skipping into the room and over to the stash of weapons.

They were in Alicante, Alec realised, stepping forward as his younger counterpart took up a staff, licking his lips. Stunned, the moment came back to him all at once, and he felt anxiety swell in his chest despite the fact that he knew how the following conversation was going to end.

“Izzy, I have to tell you something.” His voice sounded wrong. Had his voice ever been that high? That soft?

“What is it?” She asked, twirling her staff around in her hands, her long hair bouncing around her shoulders.

Alec, the Alec who wasn’t Alec yet, took in a deep breath. “I’m not really a girl.” He confessed, his eyes on the ground.

Izzy stopped her showmanship, tilting her head to the side. “What do you mean?”

“I mean,” teenage Alec was almost in tears. “I mean that I’m really a boy. And… Professor Fell said I can do stuff, make myself look like a boy.”

“Oh.” Izzy wrinkled her nose. “I mean… If that’s what you want. If you’d be happier as a boy… Would you be happier?”

Teenage Alec looked up at her, his hazel eyes round with disbelief. “Yeah. Yeah… And…” He cleared his throat. “You’ll still love me?”

Izzy bounded over to him, throwing her arms around his neck. “I’ll always love you, big si-” She paused, ruffling Alec’s hair, “big brother.”

Alec heard his soft, high-pitched little voice from nine years ago whimper, and he smiled a little as the husk of himself started to cry.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“I always thought parabatai bonds were more trouble than they’re worth,” Magnus muttered, rolling up his sleeves.

“Do you think you can help him?” Maryse asked, her eyes wide and beseeching.

Magnus didn’t look at her, instead focussing on checking Alec’s eyes, his pulse and breathing. “I can… I can keep his body working for the next… I don’t know, 48 hours? At a push? But if his soul doesn’t find Izzy’s and return, then…” He shook his head. “But it will. I’m sure it will.”

“He was determined,” Maryse said quietly. “He said that nothing could stop him. And I was stupid to believe him. He has no idea what he’s done, separating his soul from his body…”

“He made his choice,” Magnus reminded her, swallowing hard as his magic got to work. “As much as it may pain us, we have to respect his judgement.” He chewed the inside of his cheek for a moment. “Even though he is a childish fool at times.”

“Clary’s back!” Jocelyn ran into the room, her red hair flying behind her. “She’s just arrived, soaking wet. She’s being questioned by Aldertree.”

Magnus glanced at Maryse, who was already looking at him, annoyance in her eyes. Magnus nodded, and Maryse got to her feet. “I don’t care about your rude, arrogant little brat. Both my son and daughter are lost because of your despicable, psychopathic husband and his wild ideas, so I swear to the angel himself, Jocelyn, if you do not leave me and my son alone I will make sure the Clave sends you so far away that even fire messages cannot reach you.” She snarled, and Jocelyn, wide-eyed, turned and left.

“Nicely done,” Magnus commented, his voice even. “You didn’t even mention Clary’s demon blood.”

Maryse sniffed, smoothing a loose strand of hair back into place. “Considering you’re the only thing keeping Alec alive, it would have been in bad taste.”

“Bad taste.” Magnus’ mouth twitched despite himself, a ghost of a smile on his lips. “Right.”

There were a few moments of silence, Maryse’s chest heaving with anxiety and residual anger at Jocelyn. She blinked very quickly, her eyes on Alec’s sleeping, sweating face. “I don’t deserve your help.” She admitted in a very, very small voice, and Magnus looked up at her.

“No, you don’t,” he returned, only the tiniest edge of bitterness in his voice, “but Alexander does. I won’t leave him.”

Maryse’s eyes snapped up to Magnus’ face, taking in the concern in his expression. “You really care about him, don’t you? I’ve known of you for years, and you’d never dream of helping a shadowhunter free of charge. So…”

“Why Alexander?” Magnus guessed, meeting her eyes. “Because, Maryse, contrary to popular belief, I actually do have a heart.” He looked down at where his magic was working, swallowing a lump in his throat. “Admittedly, it’s been closed for business for a long time. But Alec kicked down the door and demanded service.”

“Of course he did,” Maryse chuckled, swiping at a stray tear, “that’s what he does.”

“I wouldn’t have him any other way.” Magnus smiled slightly.

Maryse smoothed Alec’s hair back from his face. “Neither would I.” She looked into Alec’s face for a long time, wondering how he’d come to teach her so much, how he’d managed to make her doubt absolutely everything she knew from the second he’d decided to come out to her all those years ago.

No, she wouldn’t have him any other way.

“I should go and update the Clave,” Maryse cleared her throat. “You’ll send for me if there’s a change?”

“Of course, Maryse.” Magnus nodded, watching as she left the room, reeling at the conversation they’d shared. For the first time in a very long time, Maryse Lightwood had seemed vulnerable. More vulnerable than she’d been even as an ignorant teenager, knocked up and desperate enough for change that she’d joined Valentine’s cult. It seemed like yesterday to him, and yet the wiggly little creature that had been lying in wait in her belly was now lying before him, grown and helpless. And that wiggly little creature might just have grown to be the love of Magnus’ life.

He snorted into the empty room, shaking his head.

Funny how life unfolded.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When Izzy finally hit the shore, she lay in the dirt for a moment, panting. The sun had come up since she jumped from the boat, and she wondered how long she’d been in the water. As she pushed herself up to her hands and knees, her whole body screaming, she spotted a still figure out of the corner of her eye. With a second look, she realised that it was a person, lying facing away from her. She forced herself up to her feet and staggered over to the person, turning them over.

It was the werewolf from the boat, her eyes open and unseeing. Izzy’s heart lurched in her chest, both in regret that she wasn’t able to save the wolf, and in relief that Clary had most likely survived. If she hadn’t, she would have washed up here, too. Izzy looked up and down the length of the beach, jumping out of her skin as she saw a jogger standing a few feet away from her.

“Do you have a phone?” Izzy rasped, her throat sore from breathing so hard while swimming.

The jogger stared, dumbstruck, at the werewolf’s body, and Izzy shook her head, her eyes going wide. “You killed her!”

“N-no, no, she was already dead.” Izzy insisted, but the jogger was already pressing her phone to her ear. Izzy got up and started running in the opposite direction as the jogger got through to the police. There was no way that Izzy could afford to be arrested; Luke had said that the Circle had people inside the NYPD. And with the Clave wanting her as well, Izzy had no choice but to run.

Last night, right as she’d jumped off the boat, she’d felt Alec’s presence with her. His strength, his power had joined her own and helped her find her way to shore. She could still feel it now, pushing her to run faster despite the fact that her stele was back on the ship. Alec’s soul was with her, pulsing against her own. And if that were true, then what had become of Alec’s body?

Her only option was to get to Magnus’ loft. He would keep her safe from the Clave, and help her get Alec’s soul back to his body. She skidded to a halt when she reached the road, groaning loudly as she realised she was miles from Magnus’ loft. After a brief rest, leaning against the window of an abandoned shop, she took off running again, towards Magnus’ loft and, hopefully, towards her parabatai.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“So you don’t remember anything? Anything at all?” Aldertree asked, rubbing some lotion into his hands, his eyes steady on Clary’s expression.

“I remember hitting the water, and before that I remember seeing Dot in the alleyway.” Clary told him, for the third time. “How long was I gone? What day is it?”

“Only a day,” Aldertree told her, “but long enough that your friend Alec Lightwood has put himself in grave danger.”

Clary sat up a little straighter. “What? What do you mean?”

“According to his mother, he attempted to use an adamas stone to send his soul to find Isabelle. If she does not return and reunite his soul with his body, then he will die.”

Clary stood up. “I should tell Magnus.”

“Mister Bane is already here,” Aldertree replied coolly, “against my better judgement. But Maryse has given her permission to allow the warlock to work on her son, so I cannot interfere.”

“Are we done here? I should go and see what I can do to help.”

Aldertree’s eyes narrowed. “I should have your mind checked by Mister Bane. Make sure there’s not any lasting damage from your bout of amnesia.”

“I’m sure he’ll get to it the moment Alec’s safe.” Clary said evenly. “When Izzy gets back.”

“So you know for sure that she escaped?” Aldertee sounded smug.

Clary sighed. “I saw another person in the water with me. I assume it was Izzy, because why would a Circle member jump in the water?”

“Perhaps they were trying to catch you.”

“Perhaps.” Clary replied.

Aldertree sighed. “If Isabelle surrenders herself, I can promise you she won’t be harmed. But if she fights us, our soldiers may have no choice but to kill her.”

Clary licked her lips. “Even if it was Izzy that I saw, and she escaped Valentine, it’s not like she has her cell phone. I can’t get a message to her.”

“Then I suppose we’d better hope that Isabelle’s parabatai instincts are strong enough to bring her home, hmm?”

“Let’s hope.” Clary nodded, getting to her feet. “Am I dismissed?”

“For the moment,” Aldertree allowed, holding up his hand. “But Clary, I am obligated to inform you that there are serious doubts as to your loyalty. You came from nowhere and nothing but chaos has followed in your wake. I would tread carefully.”

“I don’t give a flying fuck what the Clave thinks of me, Aldertree.” Clary sighed, tying her damp hair up into a ponytail. “I lived without runes for eighteen years, I won’t be heartbroken if they’re taken from me again.”

She took advantage of his shocked silence to leave. The truth was, the thought of giving up the power she’d gained in the last few weeks wasn’t pleasant, but she knew she’d survive. Sure, it would be hard going back to the life of an average art student after all this adventure and intrigue, but it was possible, especially if Isabelle got deruned too.

Magnus looked tired when Clary reached Alec’s room. He was sat by himself, hands braced over Alec, feeding him magic, and Clary put her hand on his back for encouragement, returning his weak, sad smile. “Hi, Biscuit.” He murmured.

“How’s he doing? Aldertree said something about his soul going to Izzy?” She asked, kneeling next to him.

“Yes, that’s right. Izzy has his soul. If she doesn’t get back here, his body will perish. But if she comes back, she’ll be arrested.” Magnus explained, “and I’m not sure that Aldertree values Alec enough to allow Izzy access to him before he takes her to the City of Bones.”

Clary shook her head, tears prickling at her eyes. “Why is Aldertree so intent on killing the Lightwoods?”

“Because they are the rightful heirs to this Institute. Aldertree is nobody. He’s a spare, I’ve never even heard of the Aldertree family. Alec and Izzy’s family name is powerful, and if they’re found innocent of their charges, they’ll be allowed to lead the Institute once more and Aldertree will be sent to God knows where. He doesn’t want that. This is personal to him, this is his chance to ruin the Lightwoods and get his family an important Institute.” Magnus whispered, looking over his shoulder to check that there was no-one at the door. “We have to find a way to get Alec out of here. Aldertree has no intention of helping him.”

“Then we need to get past Aldertree.” Clary said, “because waiting here for Alec to die is not an option.”

“Maryse is petitioning Aldertree to let her portal Alec to Alicante to be treated by the Silent Brothers. I could hijack the portal, but Aldertree and Maryse would be on our asses in an instant. And I can’t maintain the wards around my home while keeping Alec alive. They’d storm in and take Alec.” Magnus explained. “We need to get Izzy back. We need to get her here.”

Clary nodded, her eyebrows furrowed. “Okay. Okay. I’ll go and look for Izzy; she’s bound to run somewhere she knows. Maybe the Seelie gateway in the park, to Meliorn, or to your place. I’ll meet up with Luke, he’ll be a big help.”

She was already on the phone before Magnus could say anything, and he watched her fondly as she explained the situation to Luke, urgency in her voice. He hoped that the Clave didn’t ruin her heart.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There was a bar that Izzy had been to a few times with Meliorn. He didn’t like going out much, but when she insisted he brought her to a werewolf-owned bar called the Hunter’s Moon, and it wasn’t too far from where Izzy had washed up, so she decided to stop there to make a call. As she walked in she made sure to keep her hair down over her runes and her head low, glancing around for a phone left out on a table.

“Hello, stranger,” someone called out, and Izzy looked up to see none other than Maia Roberts smirking at her from behind the bar. “Been out for a swim?”

Izzy didn’t know what to say for a moment. She and Maia had been fuckbuddies for a few months in the summer before, after Izzy met Maia at the Jade Wolf. They’d fallen out of touch when Izzy started seeing Meliorn and Maia started working, no longer having the free time to sneak out to see Izzy. “Uh… Hi.”

“You want a towel?” Maia pressed, and Izzy nodded, sliding onto a bar stool and taking the cloth Maia held out for her.

As Izzy dried her face and rubbed her hair, Maia got her a drink. “Any chance I could use your phone?” She asked, and Maia rolled her eyes, pulling her phone out of her pocket. “So, um… How’ve you been?”

“Good, yeah.” Maia smiled, clearly amused by how ruffled Izzy was. She’d never seen Izzy out of her comfort zone before, and it was cute. “I’m finally on the right dose of hormones, a friend has been helping me out with an estrogen potion, so no mad mood swings anymore.”

“That’s awesome, Maia. I know that was really important for you.” Izzy offered, dialling Clary’s number. “One sec.” She turned away from the bar to talk to Clary, her voice low and urgent. “Clary? It’s me. I’m okay.”

“Iz, you have to get back here. Where are you?”

“I’m at a werewolf bar called the Hunter’s Moon. I can’t come back to the Institute, they’ll arrest me and I won’t be able to get to Alec.” She said, glancing around. “Can you bring Alec to Magnus’ place?”

Clary sighed. “We can try. Okay, just head to Magnus’ place. I’ll call Luke now and we’ll meet up with you somewhere.”

“Yeah, yeah, got it. I’ll be there soon.” Izzy replied, before hanging up and giving the phone back to Maia.

Maia was watching her with narrowed eyes. “What’s that on your neck?”

“Oh, uh, it’s… It’s a long story.” Izzy shook her head.

“That’s a Circle rune.”

A werewolf sitting to Izzy’s left had spoken up, and all the other wolves in the building had turned their eyes to her at the declaration. Izzy felt her cheeks burn and the hairs on the back of her neck rise. She held up her hands slowly.

“I’m not in the Circle.” Izzy said firmly, “it was put there-”

“That’s Maryse Lightwood’s kid. I’d recognise her anywhere. Her mother killed dozens of wolves back in the ‘90s.” Another werewolf snarled, getting out of his seat.

“Now, listen, there has to be a mistake,” Maia insisted, laughing in disbelief. “I know Izzy, she’s an advocate for downwo-”

“Get her!” A third wolf shouted, and Izzy scrambled out of her seat, snatching up the bar stool and holding it out so the legs were pointing at the wolves, backing towards the door.

“This doesn’t have to end in violence. Just let me go, I swear to you I’m not who you think I am!” Izzy implored, her eyes finding Maia’s.

“Just hear her out, there has to be an explanation.” Maia argued, but it was too late. Two wolves had begun to shift, and a few others grabbed at the stool Izzy was holding, wrenching it out of her hands. A punch came out of left field, and when she twisted out of the way she ran right into someone else’s fist, another blow striking her in the stomach right after, and she doubled over.

She did the best she could, fending off one punch in three, but there were too many of them. A particularly big one snatched her up by the shirt and hurled her through the window of the Hunter’s Moon, and Izzy wheezed, struggling to her feet as the wolves got stuck in the doorway, all of them desperate to take their fear of the Circle out on her, and she scrambled away, in the direction of Magnus’ building. Her legs felt like jelly, and she could hardly breathe. Squinting her eyes in determination, she thought of Alec, felt the warmth of his soul next to her, and pushed onwards.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“When the request for a portal is approved, I’ll put you in charge of it and stall Aldertree as much as I can.” Maryse told Magnus, putting a couple of extra steles and seraph daggers in a backpack. “Give this to Isabelle, it should help her get a head start.”

Magnus watched Maryse flit around, his lips pursed. “You’re actively helping your children to defy the Clave. What changed?”

If Maryse was surprised by Magnus’ question, she didn’t show it. She cleared her throat, smoothing Izzy’s clothes down over the weapons. “I recently discovered something that changed my view on a lot of things. My children being one of them.”

Magnus hummed, nodding slowly. “Well, for what it’s worth, I think it’s an improvement.”

“I don’t need your approval,” she responded coldly, and Magnus shrugged.

They both looked up as Aldertree burst into the room, Raj looking anxiously over his shoulder at Alec’s still form. Maryse zipped the backpack up and straightened up, her eyes steely as she met Aldertree’s gaze. “What’s going on here?”

“I’m preparing for Alec’s trip to Alicante. He’s going to need a few changes of clothes.” She answered, “and Mr Bane is keeping him stable while we wait for word from the Clave.”

“Well, I’m afraid that I am to be the bearer of bad news,” Aldertree told her, ignoring Magnus and Alec completely. “The Clave has decided that your son is too weak to be moved. He will stay here.”

Maryse raised her chin, her lips twitching like she wanted to say something, but she nodded, sinking slowly down to sit on the bed.

“You’re using Alec as bait,” Magnus accused, clenching his jaw. “You don’t care about his life, you just want to use him to lure Izzy here.”

“It’s no concern of yours what the Clave commands of its own, warlock.” Aldertree said matter-of-factly, “if you cannot wake Mr Lightwood up, then I’m afraid you’ll have to leave. There is still a lockdown on this Institute. Raj, guard the door, and make sure he doesn’t attempt to remove Mr Lightwood’s body.” With that, he swept out of the room, leaving Raj in the doorway.

Magnus raised his chin. “I’m not going anywhere.”

“Yes, you are,” Raj answered, pulling his shirt up over his head. “I’m going to glamour myself as Alec and replace him, and you’re going to portal him out of here.”

“That’s… Genius.” Magnus admitted, glancing at Maryse for her opinion.

“Let’s do it,” Maryse nodded. “I’ll stay with Raj to make sure Aldertree buys it.”

“You’ll have to magick me unconscious, otherwise I might move or start snoring.” Raj explained, lying down on the bed next to Alec.

“You trust me?” Magnus asked, taken aback.

Raj shrugged, activating his glamour rune. His body shimmered and changed into a perfect replica of Alec’s. “Alec does. And I trust him. Hurry up, before I change my mind.”

Magnus checked that Alec was stable, before turning his magic to Raj, snatching consciousness from him. Raj’s eyes closed, and he went still. “He’ll be fine,” Magnus assured Maryse, who looked uneasy. “He’ll wake up with a shake. Help me with Alec, keep an eye on him while I conjure the portal. My magic’s running low, it’ll take a little longer than usual.”

Maryse rushed around to the other side of the bed, keeping her fingers on Alec’s pulse as Magnus got to work on the portal.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Izzy wasn’t sure she could make it to Magnus’. She’d spent the last half hour trying to deny it, trying to keep her mind focussed on Alec, but the pain was immense, and at this point she was clutching at the walls of alleys to keep her upright. She was bleeding heavily from a laceration in her side, and her head was spinning.

“Izzy!”

A tide of dread rose in her chest as she heard Maia’s voice echo in the alley behind her.

“You killed Gretel?!” Maia shouted after her, her voice getting closer all the time, and Izzy steeled herself, pushing off the wall and starting to run again, bursting out of the alley and onto a busy street, collapsing against a mailbox. Almost instantly, mundanes started swarming around her, on their phones, and Izzy caught sight of Maia standing at the mouth of the alleyway, looking at her with disbelief and anger. The world swum for a moment, and Izzy closed her eyes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Magnus’ wards weren’t up when Clary and Luke reached the loft, and they let themselves in to find it completely empty. It had been over an hour since Izzy had called; it shouldn’t have taken her so long to reach Magnus’ loft.

“Izzy?” Clary called, checking all the different rooms, fear curdling in her stomach.

“I’ll call the pack, maybe they kept her at the Hunter’s Moon for safety,” Luke suggested, pressing his phone to his ear. He walked into the kitchen to talk to his beta, and Clary sat down on the sofa, frowning. Izzy wouldn’t have let anything stop her from getting to Alec. Where was she?

When Luke came out of the kitchen, he headed straight for the door.

“What’s happening?” Clary demanded, jogging to catch up with him.

Luke looked like he was about to kill someone. Clary hadn’t seen him so angry in a very long time, not since she’d gotten arrested for underage drinking a few years back. And even then, it had been tempered by concern. Now, he just looked mad. “The pack is after Izzy. They think she killed one of our own.”

“What?!”

“Gretel washed up right next to her, the cops have named Izzy their number one suspect and Alaric told the pack. And they all saw Izzy with a Circle rune in the Hunter’s Moon right before the news broke. Apparently Izzy’s injured but still running. Maia’s chasing her.”

“Your beta, Maia? Can’t you call her off?” Clary asked.

“She’s not answering her phone. According to Tato, Izzy and Maia have a history, so Maia considers this personal. Gretel was a close friend.” Luke explained, “we have to find Izzy and Maia ourselves.”

Clary nodded, swallowing hard. The last thing they needed was the pack getting involved in the search for Izzy; the Clave was already breathing down their necks. “Where do you think we should start?”

“The hospitals,” Luke answered, “there’s no way Izzy won’t be admitted without her runes after being tossed through a window.”

“They tossed her through a window?” Clary yelled, anger rising in her.

“They thought she was one of Valentine’s goons.”

Clary growled under her breath, shaking her head. “So what, it’s kill first and ask questions later with you?!”

“If I had been there I wouldn’t have let it get out of hand,” Luke insisted, “but I wasn’t there and they took matters into their own hands.”

“What happens if Maia catches Izzy before we do?”

Luke shook his head. “Maia’s never killed anybody before. I don’t think she’d just rip Izzy apart. But there could be a fight; Maia still has trouble with control sometimes. It’s best if we stop her before she gets a chance to.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Izzy woke slowly, reluctantly. It was as if something was pulling her down into the mattress, but she stubbornly forced her eyes open, her fingers curling around the edge of the bed. Everything was white, everything aside from a shaded cloud, blotting out the white sky. As her eyes focussed, she realised that she was in a hospital bed, and the cloud was the shape of Maia’s hair. Maia was watching her wake up, an expression of distrust on her face.

“Maia,” Izzy croaked, trying to sit up. Maia’s hand came up to pin her shoulder to the bed, her wolf strength no match for Izzy in her current condition.

“You joined the Circle.” Maia accused, and Izzy shook her head, her brain rattling in her skull.

“No, I didn’t. I…” She groaned, squeezing her eyes shut. “Valentine took me. I was taken.”

“Gretel’s body was found right next to you,” Maia sounded close to tears. “She died from a seraph blade. You killed her.”

“No, no, I didn’t. Valentine did.”

Maia sniffed, trembling all over. “The Clave wants you dead or alive. They know you’re part of the Circle.”

“No…” Izzy insisted, trying to sit up again. Maia’s hands were twitching, the bones and muscles under the skin starting to jump. “Maia, please. You know me.”

Maia didn’t reply, her body crunching, contorting. Izzy’s hand snatched at the IV drip in her arm, yanking the needle out and jumping over the side of the bed as Maia crouched, her body twisting into her wolf form. Izzy’s legs were shaky, but her side had been patched up, and she jogged off down the corridor, her dark hair streaking behind her as she heard Maia’s wolf howl in the room behind her.

When she reached the stairs, she headed up, assuming Maia had back-up on the way, her heart pounding. Her mind was choppy from panic, and when she found the door to the roof to be locked, she let out a desperate shout, banging on it. Someone grabbed her and pulled her aside, and for a second Izzy thought she was about to die, but then she saw Jocelyn’s face, the flash of a stele, and then she was being yanked through the door onto the rooftop.

She wheeled away from Jocelyn, panting hard. Jocelyn locked the door behind them right as Maia crashed into it, snarling and barking. Izzy didn’t look at Maia, her eyes fixed on Jocelyn, who was tucking her stele back into her pocket.

“What’s our next move?” Jocelyn asked, brandishing the same crossbow she’d used to shoot Izzy.

Izzy gaped at her, doubled over trying to catch her breath. “What?”

“What’s the plan? Where are you going? You can’t go back to Institute.”

“I’m not going anywhere with you.” Izzy spat, groaning as she straightened up. “You shot me!”

“To get to Valentine.” Jocelyn stressed, “and now I’m here to help. I want to make it up to you and Clary.”

Izzy shook her head. “No, I don’t need or want your help. I’ll be fine on my own.” She ignored whatever Jocelyn said next in favour of running to the edge of the roof, trying to figure out if she could make the jump. “Give me your stele if you want to help.”

“But what am I supposed to use?” Jocelyn asked, and Izzy looked over her shoulder at the other woman, holding out her hand. Jocelyn put the stele in Izzy’s hand, and Izzy drew an iratze and an endurance rune before jumping off the roof without a backwards glance, taking off into the night. She heard a wolf’s howl, and activated her speed rune, praying that she could stay in front of the wolves until she got to Magnus’.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The loft was dark and quiet when Magnus came through the portal carrying Alec, putting him down on the couch. He made sure Alec was still breathing, putting the adamas stone back in his hand as he sat down next to the couch. He watched the deep, shuddering, painful breaths escape Alec’s lips, swallowing around the lump in his throat.

“I’m out of answers, Alexander, and I’m out of magic.” Magnus whispered, both his hands wrapped around Alec’s where it held the stone. “I don’t know what else to do.”

A foolish, childish idea popped into his mind. True love’s kiss. He almost dismissed it outright, but… All the legends were true, weren’t they?

He got up on his knees, his eyes flicking over Alec’s face. With desperation clutching at his heart, he bent to kiss Alec’s lips. He lingered only a moment, before pulling back, every fibre of his will begging for Alec to open his eyes.

Alec didn’t move.

“Please,” Magnus hissed, gripping Alec’s shirt, “please don’t leave me.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In his dreams, Alec stood in the corner of the quarters he’d had when he was a child. He and Izzy had shared right up until Alec turned eighteen and moved to adult quarters, and he watched now as Izzy tugged at the bottom hem of his first binder, her eyebrows furrowed.

“Is it meant to be this tight?” She asked, and Alec gasped, scrunching his face up as he forced the too-small binder down over his hips.

“Yeah, it’s not that bad,” he lied, smoothing down the stiff, white material.

Izzy didn’t look convinced, but she knew how long it had taken Alec to find this one, so she just turned him to look in the mirror. “It really flattens your sides, look.” She pointed out, “your silhouette will look so manly from behind.”

Alec twisted in the mirror, trying to see himself from as many different angles as possible. “Yeah,” he whispered, his hands slipping down his flat chest. “Yeah, it’s good.” He could barely breathe, but God, it was worth it.

“Have you decided on a name yet?” Izzy asked, handing him a t-shirt.

“Huh?” Alec couldn’t tear his eyes from his body, how much skinnier his hips looked, how the curve of his waist was all but gone.

“Your name?”

“Oh, yeah,” Alec smiled at her in the mirror, yanking his t-shirt on over the binder. “I think I want to be called Alexander.”

Izzy hummed, jutting out her lower lip and nodding. “Fancy.”

“Yeah, not too bad though, is it?”

“Nah,” she assured him. “I can call you Xander. Or Alex.”

Alec wrinkled his nose, and shrugged one shoulder. “I was thinking I’d prefer Alec.”

“Alec.” Izzy repeated speculatively. Her lips curved up into a smile. “Alec Lightwood. Sounds good. I like it.”

“I love it.” Alec told her, turning to face her. “Iz…” he opened and closed his mouth a few times. “I don’t know what I would’ve done if you hadn’t-”

“I did, Alec,” Izzy reminded him, adjusting his t-shirt so she couldn’t see the hem of his binder in the neckhole. “I did accept you. And I always will. You’re my big brother,” she swallowed around the lump in her throat, “and I’ll always love you.”

Alec hugged her gently, burying his face in her hair, and Izzy rubbed his back.

From the corner of the room, Alec looked back on his memory with blurry vision.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Izzy was only down the street from Magnus’ loft when a wolf leapt out of an alleyway, cutting off Izzy’s path. Maia snarled, pacing back and forth along the empty street. Coming to a stop, Izzy raised her hands over her head, her eyes locked with Maia’s.

“Maia, please, let me explain.” Izzy implored. “I got taken by Valentine, I swear. You know me. You remember all the nights we snuck away together? Why would I ever kill a werewolf?”

Maia seemed to be struggling. She was shaking her muzzle back and forth, like she was having a conversation in growls. She faltered, stopping in the middle of the street, but she didn’t back down, her chest still rumbling threateningly.

“The Clave is trying to blame me for Valentine’s rise because it’s easy. They don’t want to face the role they played. Can’t you see? They’re trying to frame me, Maia.”

“Izzy!” Clary shouted, she and Luke running into the street on the other side of Maia.

“Stay back!” Izzy told them, not looking away from Maia. “Maia, please. Please trust me. Come back to me, and I’ll explain everything.”

“Maia, let her go.” Luke ordered, and Maia looked away from Izzy to glance at Luke, wheeling away to stand at his side.

Izzy slowly lowered her hands, and Clary sprinted forward to meet her. She hit Izzy at speed, making her grunt with pain, the two of them almost toppling over. Izzy hugged her back, running her hands through Clary’s hair.

A slow clap started from the shadows, and Izzy and Clary sprang apart. “Well done, Miss Fray.” Aldertree said, emerging from the darkness with two shadowhunters flanking him. “You caught our fugitive.”

Clary pulled out her seraph blade, stepping in front of Izzy. “She isn’t going anywhere with you.”

“Go to Alec, Izzy,” Luke instructed, “we’ll hold them off.”

“If you fight us, Miss Fairchild, you will be tried as aiding and abetting a traitor to the Clave.” Aldertree warned her as Izzy scarpered towards Magnus’ building.

“If you fight me, Mr Aldertree, you might just get your ego bruised.” Clary smirked, twirling the hilt of her blade in her hand.

Aldertree didn’t seem to be armed, and he looked a little ruffled even as he tangled his hands together behind his back. “You don’t fear a deruning?”

“With the month I’ve had it would be a blessing.” Clary sneered. “So are you going to fight us or are you going to leave?”

Maia snarled, coming to stand next to Clary.

Aldertree looked between the redhead, the alpha, and the huge wolf already turned, and pursed his lips. “Miss Lightwood will not get out of Mr Bane’s loft alive if we have to take her by force. Even now, units of shadowhunters are moving up the steps of that building, following her. I can order them to hold until Mr Lightwood’s soul has been restored, or I can allow them to kill everyone in that loft on sight. And the last time I saw him, Mr Bane didn’t look like he had much magic left in him.”

Clary’s breath caught in her throat. “You wouldn’t.”

“If you kill the High Warlock, and I make it out of here alive, you bet your ass the wolves, warlocks and vampires are going to rise up against you. Are you ready for that, Aldertree?” Luke asked, putting a hand on Maia’s shoulder to keep her from leaping into action.

“I am ready for anything, Mr Greymark.”

Clary and Luke looked at each other. Luke shook his head, backing away. Her lower lip wobbling, Clary dropped her weapon, and the two shadowhunters rushed forward to arrest her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Alec?!” Izzy didn’t bother to close the door behind her, dropping to her knees next to where Alec was lying on the couch. Magnus put his hand on her shoulder briefly as he got up, stepping backwards to give the two of them room.

“Good luck, Isabelle,” Magnus murmured, “bring him back to us.”

Tears sprang to Izzy’s eyes as she grasped Alec’s hand in both of hers. “I’m here, big brother.” She whispered, pressing her lips to his fingers where they curled around the adamas stone. “I’m here.”

Alec sighed, his head lolling to the side, and Magnus’ breath hitched. Izzy gathered his head in her arms, cradling him against her chest. Sniffing a couple of times, she tried to remember their vow, squeezing her eyes closed as the words came to her.

“ _Entreat me not to leave thee_ ,”

Alec looked up from the memory he’d been lost in, his eyebrows furrowing as Izzy’s voice echoed in his mind.

“ _Or return from following after thee - For whither thou goest, I will go._ ”

“Izzy,” Alec called, the memory fading away to be replaced with permeating darkness. “Izzy?”

“ _And whither thou lodgest, I will lodge_.”

His chest felt like it was being crushed, and Alec felt the weight of it drag him down through the darkness.

“ _Thy people shall be my people, And thy God my God. Where thou di- A-alec, please. Please. Come back, I c-can’t do this witho-out you._ ”

“ _Ple-ease_!”

Steeling himself, Alec pushed upwards, shoving the darkness away from him, fixing his eyes high and scrambling to the source of Izzy’s voice. The darkness would be there for another day. But Izzy was crying. And she needed him.

Alec gasped, his eyes flying open, his hands coming up to grip Izzy’s arms. She buried her face in his shoulder and let out a sob, and he panted for breath, hugging her with the little strength he had. “Not today, huh?” He breathed, smiling a little as Magnus’ teary face appeared over the back of the couch.

Izzy pulled back, and thumped him in the arm. “You stupid fuck!”

Magnus and Alec chuckled as Izzy swiped at her tears.

“Isabelle Lightwood,” Aldertree drawled, strolling through the door. “You are under arrest for treason against the Clave and the New York Institute.”

Alec sat up, his eyebrows furrowing. “But she came back, she’s obviously not-”

“It’s okay,” Izzy told him, getting to her feet. “We both know I’m innocent.”

“But-”

Aldertree put the handcuffs on Izzy himself, ignoring Alec as he struggled to his feet. Izzy was marched out of Magnus’ loft, and the shadowhunters followed, leaving Alec there in the middle of the living room. Magnus came to his side right as Alec’s knees buckled, catching him as he pitched sideways.

“Whoa, careful! You need to sit down.” Magnus coaxed, guiding Alec back to the couch. “You’re going to be alright, Alec.”

Alec pulled Magnus down next to him, and hugged him close.

“Izzy will be, too,” Magnus promised, though a dreading feeling grew in his heart that the Clave weren’t going to let Izzy go without a fight.


	4. Episode 4: Day Of Wrath

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, I'll be tracking the #SFPfic tag on twitter to see your thoughts on this update! 
> 
> This chapter is pretty heavy! Lots of trigger warnings here. Be safe!
> 
> Racism: Aldertree is scathing of Magnus and his actions, as in the show. He makes no secret of his distaste for downworlders, though he doesn’t use the same kind of violent language that Valentine does. He threatens Magnus with an ‘off the books’ punishment.
> 
> Abusive/manipulative parent: Jocelyn is a piece of shit, as we all know. She tries to manipulate Clary into moving to Alicante with her and leaving Izzy behind. The manipulation is literally just one line, because she’s interrupted by Aldertree and Alec arriving on the scene. Later on in the chapter, there’s a reference to Magnus’ time with Asmodeus.
> 
> Violence: As in canon, there is a chest-cavity-hole-punching demon on the loose. Additionally, Magnus cuts Simon’s palm and uses his blood (as in canon). Catarina muses that she wants to punch Camille in the face.
> 
> Depiction of corpse/autopsy: Alec and Clary find a mundane corpse - it’s not described in huge detail in the first scene where they find it but it’s described a little more in the autopsy scene. Raj is super squeamish about it and threatens to vomit, but he doesn’t.
> 
> Depiction of shock/trauma: As in canon, Alec and Clary find the mundane who was originally possessed by the demon, but unlike canon, they have a conversation with her and help her. 
> 
> Depiction of grief/distress: Cat talks to Magnus about the fact that Dot is alive and still being tortured by Valentine. 
> 
> Aftermath of torture: Raphael shows up at Magnus’ after Aldertree’s tortured him.
> 
> Emotional abuse/aftermath of emotional abuse: Magnus deals with Camille in this episode. She mocks him for being infertile, before turning to manipulation. Magnus references that Camille’s usual MO is to get her victims hooked on yin fen, though this didn’t happen to him. He experiences feelings of low self-worth, victim-blaming, anxiety, fear, (Cat is there to help him with these emotions) and eventually anger and closure. I’ve been in abusive relationships, and I found this chapter quite cathartic. I hope you do too! Additionally, Izzy dreams Clary coming to her and saying horribly flippant, dismissive things to her, including sort of guilting her that they haven’t had sex yet? All of these things are Izzy’s fears about their relationship manifesting - obviously Clary doesn’t actually feel any of these things. 
> 
> Depiction of shock: Alec goes into shock when he sees Jocelyn’s body and realises that he killed her, and Clary goes into shock towards the end of the chapter, once the demon has been killed.
> 
> Reference to alcohol addiction: Magnus muses on the fact that he has tried to quit drinking several times, but he ultimately relapses on bad days. This is one of those days.

Clary and Izzy had been lucky to get cells next to each other. There was a wall between them, but they could hold hands if they both sat in the front corners of their cells and put their hands through the bars. They’d only been there for a few hours when Alec turned up, looking fresh after an iratze and a little rest. Both women stood up at the sight of him, though when Alec went to hug Izzy through the grate, the Silent Brother escorting him put a restraining hand on his shoulder.

“No touching the prisoners,” his motionless words came, and Alec sighed. 

“Are you okay?” He asked, and Clary and Izzy nodded. “You won’t be here for long, I promise.” 

“Don’t get yourself in trouble fighting for us,” Izzy urged him, “if they make us the scapegoats then you have to let it happen, don’t let yourself get implicated.”

“Yeah, no point in you getting deruned as well,” Clary added. She knew that she and Izzy would be okay being mundanes, but she couldn’t imagine Alec without the structure of the Institute.

“Is Magnus okay?” Izzy pressed, “he was really shaken up.” 

Alec nodded, “yeah, he’s talking to Aldertree. Thank you, Clary, for backing down when you had to. It’s better that everyone ends up alive and in trouble than some of us dead. I know it goes against your nature to walk away from a fight.” He teased, and Clary smirked.

“It physically pained me to drop that seraph blade.” 

“I bet,” Alec snorted, folding his arms. “I’ll come visit as much as I can, okay? But like I said, the Soul Sword will set it all straight. You’ll be alright.” 

Izzy nodded, gripping the bars of her cell so she didn’t reach out to squeeze his hand. “Take care of yourself, big brother.” 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“So, Mr Bane…” Aldertree sighed, smirking a little as he settled in his chair. Magnus fought the urge to roll his eyes. Of course the bastard was enjoying this. “Let’s recap the last twenty-four hours. You break the downworlder ban in this Institute, you assault a shadowhunter and render him unconscious, you kidnap a shadowhunter, assist a fugitive of the Clave and resist arrest.” Aldertree’s eyes dragged up and down Magnus’ tired form. “Anything to say?” 

“I refute every single one of the charges you just made.” Magnus replied coolly.

“Oh?”

“One, I had permission to enter this Institute from Maryse Lightwood, who, if I’m not mistaken, has the true authority here until the Clave formally hands this Institute to the Aldertree family.” He reminded Aldertree, holding up his pointer finger. “Two,” he continued, lifting his middle finger, “Raj gave his consent to be made unconscious. You can ask him, I’m sure he’d be happy to say that he did it for the sake of Alexander’s life. Three,” Magnus mused, his ring finger joining the first two, “once again, I had Maryse Lightwood’s express permission to take Alexander from the Institute. She would not have allowed me to go had she disagreed with my actions.” 

“And Isabelle?” Aldertree asked, his jaw tight. 

Magnus smiled serenely. “Well, I’m afraid I must have missed your fire message in regards to Isabelle being a fugitive. What exactly was her crime again? Being kidnapped? Or is kidnapping only a crime when a downworlder tries to save the life of a shadowhunter?” 

Aldertree got to his feet. “There will be consequences for your actions, warlock.” 

“Sir!” Raj burst into the room, out of breath like he’d been running. Magnus turned to look at him, and Raj gave him a nod. “I’d like to state for the record that Magnus didn’t assault me. I told him to knock me out. You can’t punish him for it, it was my idea. I take full responsibility.” 

Magnus smiled at Raj, and Raj squared his shoulders, meeting Aldertree’s eyes. 

“That doesn’t change the fact that you took Alec out of the Institute without my permission. And I might not be able to try you in a court of law,” Aldertree said evenly, “but I promise you, there will be repercussions for you attempting to undermine my authority in this Institute.” 

“Oh, I don’t doubt it, Mr Aldertree,” Magnus replied brightly, getting up from his seat. “Will that be all?” 

“For now,” Aldertree allowed, shooting a dirty look at Raj as he and Magnus left the room. 

“I’m sorry, man,” Raj sighed, closing Aldertree’s door behind them, “I feel like I just made things worse.”

Magnus shook his head. “No, no, I appreciate you sticking your neck out for me. You’re a good friend.”

“It’s just pissing me off how they’re handling this. Aldertree could be out there looking for Valentine but instead he’s fucking around putting Izzy on trial, even though he knows full well she didn’t do anything wrong.” Raj looked venomously at the closed door of Aldertree’s office. “It’s almost like he wants Valentine to succeed.”

“It wouldn’t surprise me.” Magnus admitted, leading Raj away. “Nevertheless, I appreciate the gesture.”

“Don’t mention it,” Raj shrugged. “I should get back to work.” 

Magnus nodded, and automatically turned towards Alec’s room before remembering that he’d gone to visit his sister in the City of Bones. As he neared the door, he spotted Alec walking towards him, and they smiled as they walked up to each other. Alec looked better than Magnus could have expected; he seemed happy, and well-rested. 

“Good visit with Isabelle?” Magnus guessed, and Alec smiled. 

“Yeah, she’ll be out in no time. They can’t keep her once the Soul Sword proves her story is true.” Alec explained, his hand twining with Magnus’. “So I was thinking, since, for once, I have absolutely nothing to be stressed about… Do you want to go on that romantic first date we still owe each other?”

Magnus beamed. “I’d like that. What are you in the mood for?” 

Alec was just opening his mouth to respond that he’d kill for some sushi when Aldertree’s voice came out of nowhere.

“Mr Lightwood, I need you in my office.” 

Magnus rolled his eyes a little as Alec sighed. “Be right there.” Alec assured, not looking back but keeping his eyes on Magnus’ face. “Rain check?” 

“Mmm. Another time,” Magnus nodded, squeezing Alec’s hand. After a quick kiss on the cheek, he was gone, and Alec headed back to meet Aldertree.

Aldertree was waiting by his office door, watching Alec come towards him with the utmost patience. Alec was almost tempted to walk extra slowly, but honestly he wanted to get in and get out as quickly as possible. “Come in, Mr Lightwood,” Aldertree encouraged, “we have much to discuss.” 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Clary was torn when her mother turned up at the prison. They hadn’t talked much since the incident with Izzy outside the vamp den, but she had to admit that she was a little relieved to see her, anyway. Izzy couldn’t go anywhere to give the two of them privacy, so she hovered awkwardly, pretending like she couldn’t hear every word they said.

“How are you doing in there?” Jocelyn asked, and Clary shrugged one shoulder.

“Not long enough to know one way or the other,” she answered.

Jocelyn smiled at her for a moment, but Clary’s in return did not reach her eyes. “The Clave have made a deal for your release.” She admitted, looking sideways at Izzy, “but only you.”

“I’m not leaving Izzy here by herself,” Clary replied without a beat of hesitation. “No way.” 

In the next cell, Izzy sighed, folding her arms. “Clary, if you can be free, you have to take the deal. I’ll be okay.” 

“No,” Clary said firmly. “I won’t do it. Besides, the condition is probably completely ridiculous.” 

“The condition is that you relocate to Alicante with me. We’d be working directly with the Valentine taskforce. Our information could help them catch Valentine.” Jocelyn explained.

“I know next to nothing about him!” 

Jocelyn pressed close to the bars, the Silent Brother with her tugging her back with his iron grip. “Please, Clary. All the sacrifices I made, all that lying and hiding, it was all for you. All of it.”

“Izzy and Alec were there for me when you decided to put yourself to sleep and leave me to figure this all out on my own. They’re just as much my family as you and Luke, and I can’t abandon them.” Clary insisted. The very idea of leaving Izzy to rot in prison while she was halfway across the globe living free turned her stomach. 

It was then that Aldertree and Alec came around the corner, and Alec smiled at Clary like he’d heard what she said. She hoped he did. There was nothing Clary could do to pay Izzy and Alec back for the way they’d wrecked their careers for the sake of her Mom. Especially since Jocelyn repaid them by shooting Izzy in the shoulder. 

“If I can break up this family reunion,” Aldertree drawled, stepping past Jocelyn to put his hand to the pad next to Clary’s cell, unlocking the door. “Miss Fray, you’re being released into the custody of Mr Lightwood until Miss Lightwood’s trial is over. It’s the wish of the Clave that the two of you are separated at this time.” 

Clary shook her head. “That’s not going to happen.”

“Clary, I’ll be fine.” Izzy promised. “Go with Alec. I’ll feel better knowing you’re safe with him. Please.”

“You know I won’t just let Izzy sit in prison forever,” Alec pointed out, and Clary sighed. 

She came out of the cell and turned to look at Izzy, reaching out her hand through the bars. Izzy squeezed it briefly before the Silent Brother yanked her back towards Aldertree. “You’ll be out before you know it.” Clary told Izzy, who smiled weakly. 

“I’ll come back later to check on you, yeah?” Alec nodded at his sister.

“Yeah, go.” Izzy’s lower lip was trembling, and it broke Alec’s heart to turn away from her to follow Aldertree, Clary and Jocelyn out of the City of Bones. 

Alec shook it off, telling himself that this time tomorrow Izzy would be free too. He and Clary had a mission, and they were going to carry it out, not rock the boat, and then Izzy would be free tomorrow. That was how it was gonna go.

“We’ve got a crime scene to investigate,” Alec told Clary once they were clear of the City of Bones, handing her a stele. 

“I’ll see you later,” Clary muttered to her mother, relieved that she was being whisked away with Alec. She had no idea where she stood with her Mom right now, and she knew Alec understood complicated maternal relationships better than most. “What’s happened?”

“A mundane turned up dead, he had a hole punched right through his chest. Luke called the Institute, because there’s no way a mundane could punch like that. It’s our job to find the demon.” Alec explained, leading the way to the address Luke had texted him. 

“Right, we’re meeting Luke?” Clary asked, and Alec nodded.

“I, uh… I heard you talking, back there, about me and Izzy. It’s appreciated.” He told her, and she shrugged one shoulder.

“I owe you guys my life and so does my Mom. She doesn’t seem to care, though, and it’s pissing me off. She gave you that adamas knowing that it could kill you.” Clary said bitterly, “she’s…”

“Still your Mom,” Alec sighed, “I know the feeling. Trust me.”

Clary nodded, pushing her hair out of her face. “I just don’t know what to do about it. She wants me to move to Alicante with her. How can I trust her? How can I leave Izzy? And you, I mean, but-” 

“Mostly Izzy,” Alec smirked, looking at her sideways. “I get it.”

“What the fuck am I going to do in Alicante? Simon and Luke will be stuck here too, it’ll just be the two of us.” 

“Alicante is nice if you like the Clave. But…”

“I hate the Clave,” Clary muttered.

“That was going to be my next sentence.” Alec agreed, shoving his hands in his pockets. “Shadowhunters don’t usually stay with their parents once they’re competent, for what it’s worth. There’s no law saying you have to go with her.” 

Clary nodded, her lips pursed. She and Alec had stopped just around the corner from the crime scene, and activated their invisibility runes. “Yeah, yeah. I’m gonna stay here. It’s not like I’m an expert on Valentine, anyway, and what good is a taskforce if they’re not even on the same continent as the person they’re supposed to be looking for?!”

“The Clave aren’t exactly known for their efficiency,” Luke observed, giving Clary a quick hug. “You doing okay, kid?” 

“Yeah, I’m fine,” she assured him. 

Luke nodded, relieved, and led them over to the mundane body. There were no other cops with him at the scene, and Luke stepped away to talk to a squad car that pulled over, no doubt responding to the 911 call an hour too late. Alec and Clary crouched next to the body, Clary watching Alec’s actions carefully. He shone the light of his stele into the gaping hole in the mundane’s chest, then lifted the scraps of his shirt to note that the veins around the injury had turned black. 

“Definitely a demon attack, one that possessed somebody, probably another mundane,” Alec murmured, and Clary hummed in agreement, though she had no idea. “Demons don’t tend to take a vessel too far after killing, so we should check the area. Have you got a heat vision rune yet?” 

“Uhhh…” She looked down at her arms, and Alec glanced her over. “Do I?”

“I can’t see one. It’s this one,” he lifted the bottom of his shirt, rolling up his binder to show her a rune on his hip.

“Got it,” Clary replied, etching it into her tricep. As she looked up, the city changed, turning blue and green, shot through with red and orange silhouettes, and Clary shook her head a little, disorientated. 

Alec took her by the elbow. “It’s weird at first, but focus on the shapes. Your actual vision will merge with the rune in a minute.” 

Sure enough, as she and Alec started to walk, Clary managed to figure out what exactly she was looking at, and she sighed in relief. “That’s the weirdest rune yet.”

“I puked the first time I used it,” Alec admitted with a smirk, “though to be fair, I had just been on a carousel for like fifteen minutes.”

“Why were you on a carousel?” Clary asked, giving him a sideways glance.

“What, you think I don’t like fun?” Alec shot back. “I mean, I was chasing a demon that had taken the form of a clown, but…”

“Look at that,” Clary pointed at a pale orange silhouette on the other side of the building they were walking past, and Alec drew his bow. 

“Be careful, this demon is strong. Be ready with your blade,” he muttered, taking the lead as they stalked around the corner into an alley. The figure was a young woman, slumped against the wall, shaking. Alec immediately stashed his bow and went to her side. 

“What happened?” She asked, squinting up into Alec’s face. Alec’s eyes dropped to her hands, his suspicions confirmed. Blood was dripping from her hands, all the way up to her elbows, and he caught her chin when he saw her trying to look down.

“You’re alright,” he told her, making sure she kept looking at his face. “You just fell, that’s all. My friend’s gonna clean you up.” 

All shadowhunters carried a rag to wipe demon ichor off their blades, and Clary was glad hers was still clean. She wiped the worst of the blood from the girl’s arms as Alec calmly asked her what her name was, where she lived, whether she had any family. By the time the girl, Anna, was recovered enough to look around at herself, her hands and arms were clean, but her shirt was splattered with blood.

“What happened?!” She demanded, looking between Alec and Clary. 

“I’m not sure. There’s a cop just a couple of blocks away, I’m sure he’ll be able to clear everything up.” Alec told her. “Do you want us to take you to him?” 

Anna nodded, holding out her hand for Alec and Clary to help her up. “Are you with the cops?” She asked.

“No, no, we were just passing by.” Alec explained, “saw you’d fallen over and thought we’d better stop to help.” 

“Oh, okay.” 

“We found this person keeled over in an alley,” Clary told Luke as they reached him, and he nodded, his hands on his hips. 

“You want me to give you a lift home, Miss?” Luke asked, and Anna nodded, taking the arm that Luke offered her.

“Thank you so much for your help. What are your names?” She asked, and Clary opened her mouth to answer, but Alec shook his head at her. They turned and walked away, leaving Anna in Luke’s capable hands. He’d have a warlock adjust her memories so she wouldn’t remember waking up in an alley covered in blood, and it was easier if she didn’t have names for the faces of the two tattooed strangers who she’d met. 

“You did well, kept calm.” Alec told her as they loaded the body bag holding the victim into the Institute’s private ambulance. “Not bad for a first time dealing with a mundane victim.”

Clary watched as Alec climbed into the ambulance, sitting next to the mundane corpse. “I didn’t think you’d… You were so gentle with her.” 

Alec screwed up his nose. “Well, yeah. Am I gonna be an asshole to someone who just got her head messed with by a demon?”

“You weren’t particularly nice to me when we met, and I was a mundane.” Clary reminded him. He snorted, folding his arms as the ambulance started to rumble underneath them. 

“That was different. I thought that you were some prissy heterosexual that was gonna break my baby sister’s heart.” 

Clary grimaced. “Everyone always thinks I’m straight.” 

Alec laughed, shaking his head. 

“Alec?” She asked tentatively, “what are we gonna do about Izzy?”

“She’ll be let go as soon as she’s been questioned by the Soul Sword,” Alec shrugged, “it compels the truth. And the truth is that she hates Valentine and everything he stands for, so it’s not like they can keep her there.” 

Clary nodded, wishing she had the same faith in the Clave’s judgement. From what she’d seen so far, they didn’t know the meaning of the word justice. “I hope you’re right.” 

“Yeah,” Alec sighed, running his hand through his hair. “Me too.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Are you sure that’s right?” Catarina asked, peering into the cauldron set on Magnus’ desk. “It smells off.” 

“One hundred percent,” Magnus assured her, his fingers dancing in the air over the cauldron. The fierce green colour faded quickly to a light blue, and Magnus hummed. “See? Just needs a little encouragement.” 

Cat hummed, sitting down in his chair. “I thought that I’d come here and forget all about work. I should’ve known better than to assume you wouldn’t be working.” 

“I’ve been working seven days a week for over twenty years, Cat,” Magnus replied, his eyes on the potion, “so you definitely should’ve known better. What’s on your mind?” 

“Alec called earlier.” Cat said, her voice quiet. “Clary and Izzy gave the Clave a full report on their experiences on Valentine’s ship.”

Magnus turned to look at her, leaning against his desk. “What does any of that have to do with you?”

“Dot’s alive, Magnus.” Cat breathed, biting into her lower lip. “She’s been alive all this time. Valentine’s been using her, her face is covered in dark veins. She’s be-”

Magnus crossed to her side, putting his arm around her. She leaned into him, clutching his shirt. “I’m so sorry. We’ll get her out of there. I promise.” 

“All this time,” Cat sniffed, squeezing her eyes shut. “I just keep thinking what she must have endured…”

“I know,” Magnus murmured, kissing the top of her head. “But she’ll come home to us, she will. She’s strong. Survived Edom no problem, remember? She’ll be okay.” 

Cat nodded, wrapping her arms around Magnus’ waist. “Promise me that you’ll save her if you get a chance. Please?”

“Of course I will.” Magnus assured her, “of course.” 

“I know we’d only been dating a little while, but…”

“It had been a long time coming. I get it. She’s important to you,” Magnus said, guilt rising like a wave in his chest. If only he hadn’t left Dot alone in Pandemonium…

The two of them looked up at the sound of a portal opening in the other room. There was only one person aside from Catarina whose magic was permitted to portal past Magnus’ wards, and sure enough, Ragnor stuck his head around the door, a pair of sunglasses perched on his head. He frowned at the sight of the two of them, coming into the room to give Cat’s shoulder a squeeze.

“What’s the matter, my love?” He asked, and Cat shook her head.

“You’re supposed to be in Rio.” She told him, standing up.

Ragnor looked sheepish. “I got spotted. It’s my fault, I got involved.”

“Involved?” Magnus asked, dreading the answer.

“I was not about to let a shadowhunter child cry in the middle of a strange city. He’d gotten lost hunting a demon. He was pitiful.” 

Magnus groaned, putting his palm over his face. “You’re supposed to be pretending to be dead! You can’t just swoop in and snatch a shadowhunter child off the street!” 

“I didn’t snatch him, I just made sure he got back to the Institute, that’s all! Anyway,” He took Magnus’s chair that Cat had just vacated, “the heat exhausts me. I think I’ll go somewhere far away from any Institute. Country life suited me just fine back in England.” 

“That child’s parents will probably disown him for taking help from a downworlder,” Cat muttered, shaking her head. 

Ragnor frowned. “Oh, goodness, what if you’re right?” 

“Ragnor, you have to go! Alec’s already in enough trouble with the Clave. If they figure out that he knows you’re alive, they’ll toss him in the City of Bones right next to Izzy.” Magnus insisted. “Set up a summer home in the sahara!” 

“If I find out who’s framing me, I can stay here with no fear. And if I’m going to do that, I need Alec’s help.” Ragnor pointed out, “I can’t access Clave files without him.” 

Magnus shook his head. “Did you hear what I said?” 

“He’s a grown man, isn’t he? I would rather like to ask him directly rather than you making decisions for him! Goodness me, you are overbearing!” 

“I’m overbearing?!” 

“Boys!” Cat barked, putting her hands on her hips. “Enough.”

“Alec has enough on his plate!” Magnus argued. 

Ragnor opened his mouth to answer, but there was a knock at the door, which made him straighten up. “Who is it?”

“It’s Raphael,” Cat and Magnus replied at the same time. 

“You spend way too much time here, if you’re that in tune with my wards,” Magnus chuckled, going to answer the door.

Raphael staggered into his arms, angry red welts all over his face. “Magnus,” he groaned, “didn’t know where else to go.” 

“Cat!” Magnus called, helping Raphael over to the living room. “Who did this to you, sweet boy?” 

“Aldertree,” Raphael hissed, his eyes bugging out of his head when Ragnor walked into the room. “You’re-”

“Supposed to be dead, yes, quite.” Ragnor was getting sick of people telling him that.

“Just lie still for a minute, Raphael, I’ve got you,” Cat assured him. “Magnus, if you take the pain I’ll reverse the damage.” 

Magnus nodded, extricating the pain from Raphael’s face, watching as the welts slowly knitted back together with the help of Cat’s magic. “What happened?”

“These were done with a UV laser. I’m surprised you weren’t killed, Raphael.” Cat tutted, shaking her head. 

“He said if I didn’t find Camille, he’d try me for her crimes.” Raphael explained. “Magnus, you have to help me find her. The Clave will kill me.” 

“He can’t torture you, it’s against the Accords! Magnus, you must alert the other warlocks.” Ragnor urged.

Magnus shook his head, rubbing his temples. “Just give me a moment to think.” 

He stepped away from his three friends, his family. Aldertree had promised him a punishment, and it seemed that he’d killed two birds with one stone in torturing Raphael. He’d scared Raphael into submission and hurt Magnus in one sadistic move. Magnus almost couldn’t believe it, but he knew better. The Clave was in a state of emergency, and downworlders always suffered the most when the Clave was feeling insecure in its hold over the shadow world. And then there was Camille.

It was true that Magnus had no idea where Camille was. If she wasn’t in Agra then her tastes must have changed since Magnus was with her, which wasn’t a stretch considering it had been over a hundred years. He didn’t want to come face to face with her; he’d hoped that he’d never see her again. But Raphael’s life was at risk, and Simon’s too. He had to put aside his fears and face her. 

“I’ll help you find Camille,” Magnus said. “But I can’t promise that we’ll be successful. She’s in hiding, and I don’t know her favourite spots now.”

Raphael nodded, smiling at Cat in thanks as she finished up his face. “I’ll be grateful for any help.” 

“You? Grateful?” Cat teased, and Raphael ducked his head. 

“For once I can put aside the sarcasm. Thank you, Magnus, truly. I know this is going to be hard for you.” 

Magnus waved it away. He wasn’t in the mood for sentiment. 

“With our combined efforts, I’m sure we’ll find her in no time at all,” Ragnor assured the other three. “She’s not exactly a master at subtlety. There’ll be traces of her in the trail of blood she leaves in her wake.”

“You’re right,” Magnus murmured, “we should start by combing local news agencies, looking for evidence of blood letting murders.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Clary?” Izzy pressed close to the bars of her cell, her heart leaping at the sight of her girlfriend. “Where’s Alec? I thought he-”

“We need to talk,” Clary told her, staying out of Izzy’s reach despite the fact that the Silent Brothers were nowhere to be seen. 

“What’s going on?” Izzy asked. How had she been admitted without a Silent Brother? 

“I’m moving to Alicante with my Mom. I have to think of myself. You understand that, don’t you?” Clary replied, folding her arms. “I could have a bright future in the Clave if I wasn’t wasting time with you. I have a good name. I didn’t realise that until now.”

Izzy chuckled nervously. “What are you talking about?” 

“I’m talking about my future.” Clary answered coolly. “My Mom showed me what I could become if I severed ties with you. The good I could do for the downworld. You’re holding me back.” 

“That’s…” Izzy’s throat tightened. “You don’t mean that.” 

Clary blinked, her eyebrows twitching. “Well, of course I do. I barely know you. What are you? We haven’t even had sex yet, and I’m supposed to sacrifice my birthright, my status, for you?” 

Izzy shook her head. “What happened to you?” 

“I’m sorry that you’ll be stuck here,” Clary mused, looking at their surroundings, “but I have to admit, it makes it easier to forget about you.” 

“Clary…” 

“Oh, and another thing…” Clary held up her pointer finger, moving closer to the cell. “Alec’s been moved to the Los Angeles Institute, so I don’t think you’ll be seeing him for a while, either.” 

“He… He wouldn’t do that to me.” 

“He was offered a Head of the Institute position! Do you think he’d turn down that opportunity?!” Clary snorted, leaning in close to the bars, “for you?”

Izzy swallowed hard, shaking her head. “This is some sick joke, I-”

“Oh, it’s no joke, Isabelle.” Clary said darkly, a blade flashing in her hand.

Izzy sat up straight, panting, her hair stuck to her neck with cold sweat. Looking around, her eyes searched desperately for Clary, but the corridor outside her cell was empty and silent. She exhaled shakily, putting her hands to her face and pulling them down to her neck. For a moment, she just focussed on breathing, closing her eyes.

“Nightmare?” 

Izzy recognised that voice. “Hodge?” 

“Yeah, they moved me next to you while you were out.” He answered, and Izzy stood up. “They use your dreams to torture you, break you.” 

“What?” 

“The Silent Brothers. They’re telepathic. They can use your worst fears to torture you in your sleep. It’s best to avoid sleeping, if you can.” Hodge explained.

Izzy sank back down onto her bunk, not wanting to believe what Hodge had told her. The Silent Brothers were supposed to be a force of justice and healing in the Shadow World, but they tortured the people under their rule. They tried to break them. It shouldn’t have surprised Izzy, but it did. She wondered if the Iron Sisters were evil, too.

Was the Angel?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“So, uh…” Alec looked at the checklist in front of him, and then glanced at the corpse of the mundane. “It’s… Well… It’s dead.” 

Clary snorted where she was leaning against the doorway.

“It has a hole in its chest.” Raj supplied, tugging on a white coat. “Write that down.” 

“Why are you guys doing the autopsy?” Clary asked, “don’t tell me Izzy’s the only pathologist you have.” 

Alec shrugged. “We never needed another one.” 

“Hey, wasn’t Aldertree a doctor?” Raj reminded them, peering down at the corpse. “Maybe we should ask him to do this.” 

“Yeah, I’m sure Aldertree will be happy to give up his leadership duties and spend the afternoon fist-deep in a dead guy,” Alec huffed. “Come on, there’s a checklist. We can do this.” 

Raj wrinkled his nose. “Alright, man, but if I puke…”

“Oh, come on, it’s not that bad.” Clary insisted, tying her hair up into a ponytail. “What’s the first thing on the list?”

“Crack the ribs open,” Alec read, and Raj heaved. “Oh my God.” 

“I’m squeamish, fucking sue me!”

“You kill demons all the time!”

“I don’t have demon guts. I have ribs.” 

Clary grabbed the hammer from the tray of instruments and raised her hand, but before she could bring it down a flurry of grey, choking smoke flew out of the corpse and up into the ventilation grate, knocking Clary, Alec and Raj backwards onto their asses. In less than an instant, Alec and Raj were on their feet and out of the room, weapons drawn. 

“It got past the wards!” Alec couldn’t believe it.

“Must have been masked by the dead mundane. What kind of demon does that?!” Raj shook his head, “that’s not normal, man, something helped that thing.” 

“We have to find it!” Clary insisted, hot on their heels. “Let’s split up, it could be anywhere.” 

Alec and Raj nodded, and the three of them went in different directions. Raj headed to ops, Clary to the quarters, and Alec towards the training rooms. As he passed people, he told them that there was a demon loose in the Institute, and to report any strange happenings to ops immediately. He hoped that Aldertree heard about the breach of security soon, because he couldn’t afford to stop looking for the demon long enough to call him back from Izzy’s trial. 

He broke into a run as he spotted a still figure sprawled in the middle of the training room. When he reached their side, he realised that it was Welkie, and he was dead. He had a wound in the middle of his chest, the same as the first mundane, and Alec straightened up at the sound of whimpering. Looking around, he noticed a young recruit from Idris curled up behind a weapons cabinet, their hands covered in blood. 

“Hey, it’s okay. You’re okay.” Alec soothed, putting his bow away for the moment. “You’re safe.” 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Did you get extra egg rolls?” Cat checked, and Magnus nodded, setting the bag of Chinese food down on the table. 

“There’s some B negative in the fridge, Raphael,” Magnus told him, inclining his head towards the kitchen. 

Raphael tilted his head to the side. “You still keep blood here?” 

“Of course I do.” Magnus shrugged, throwing himself onto the sofa with his box of chow mein, snapping his fingers to summon his favourite metal chopsticks into his hand. “Never know when you’re going to fall onto my doorstep.” 

Raphael smiled a little as he headed to the kitchen, and Ragnor shook his head fondly at Magnus.

“Still miss having someone to look after, do you?” 

“Shut up,” Magnus grumbled, shovelling noodles into his mouth. 

“He’s a born Daddy,” Catarina teased, which made Ragnor snort and Magnus roll his eyes. 

Magnus was working on chewing his food, thinking of a response, when there was a knock at the door, and he groaned loudly, letting his head fall back onto the back of the couch. 

“Come in!” Catarina called, flicking open the door with her magic.

“Oh, it’s a party!” Simon chuckled, his nervous energy vibrating as he walked into the room. Raphael came back in from the kitchen right as Simon looked up from the box in his hand.

“You!” Raphael snarled, and Magnus leapt to his feet, getting between the two vampires. “You should be looking for Camille!”

“I am! You’re just everywhere, huh?!” Simon sniped.

“Gentlemen!” Magnus shoved the hand holding his food into Raphael’s chest, and the one holding the chopsticks into Simon’s. “Let’s all calm down!”

The two vampires glared at each other, tension radiating off them. Cat wrinkled her nose, and came over to pull Raphael away. Magnus gave Simon a penetrating, disapproving look, and Simon sighed, looking away. 

“Enough of that alpha male bullshit. Simon, we could use your help.” Cat told him, pushing Raphael gently down onto the couch and sitting next to him, patting the space on her other side for Simon. 

“I’m not sharing this blood with him,” Raphael muttered.

“Don’t want your stupid blood anyway.” Simon grumbled, and Ragnor glared at the both of them. 

“What have you got there?” Cat asked, her eyes falling to the puzzle box in Simon’s hands. 

“We found it in Camille’s home in Agra,” Magnus explained, “but we couldn’t get it open. Magic can’t permeate it. God knows how you open it.”

Raphael snorted, getting up to grab Magnus’ letter opener from his office. “It’s Camille. It has to be blood magic.” 

“Of course,” Magnus nodded, “you’re absolutely right, I should’ve thought of that. Simon, give Raphael your hand.” 

“What?!” Simon squeaked, holding his hand protectively to his chest. 

“He only needs a drop of blood!” Ragnor tutted, “don’t be such a fledgling.”

“I am a fledgling!” 

“Simon,” Magnus coaxed, taking the letter opener from Raphael, “you trust me, don’t you?”

“Well, yeah.” He admitted, holding out his hand. Magnus grasped it and slipped the sharp edge of the letter opener across Simon’s palm, ignoring Simon’s yelp of pain to make sure that his blood dripped down onto the puzzle box. Sure enough, it popped open in Simon’s lap, easy as pie.

“What’s inside?” Catarina asked, craning her head to look. 

Cradling his hand, Simon peered into the box. “It’s just dirt!” 

“It’s not just dirt,” Raphael snatched the box up, looking at it more closely under the light. “It’s Camille’s grave dirt.” 

“Oh, I see,” Ragnor hummed, getting up to peer over Raphael’s shoulder. “Well, that is a brilliant stroke of luck! I’ll start working on a summoning circle immediately!” 

“Actually,” Magnus piped up, wringing his hands together, “I think I should be the one to summon Camille.”

Ragnor opened his mouth to argue, but Cat shook her head at him, and he nodded reluctantly. “If that’s what you think is best, Junior, of course.” 

“I’m the High Warlock of this city, and this is the city she terrorised. I should be the one to send her to the Clave.” Magnus explained, and Simon nodded. 

“Yeah, man, you got this! No way you’ll let her get away again!” 

Everyone in the room was looking expectantly at him, as if wondering why he hadn’t already cast the circle, and he cleared his throat, his eyes on the carpet. “We need to plan a cage for her, before I summon her.” 

“We could-”

“I’m going to… Think on it. Outside.” Magnus said slowly, “for a while.” 

The others let Magnus go, Simon looking at Raphael for answers, who shook his head. Simon didn’t ask, but he figured there was something he was missing as Catarina crossed the room to go and follow Magnus onto the balcony. As Cat slid the glass doors shut behind her, Ragnor tutted to himself, and Raphael hummed.

“The sooner that blasted woman is in the Clave’s paws, the better. She’s messed Magnus around for too damn long.” Ragnor muttered.

“Were they…?” Simon asked, slipping his index finger through a ring made by his opposite hand. 

Raphael made a noise of disgust and batted his hand down. “Camille had a hold on Magnus that none of us can explain. Made him do things he didn’t want to do, accept things he didn’t want to accept. It was a part of his life that he does not like to remember.” 

Simon swallowed hard, nodding. “Fuck. Poor Magnus.” 

“Yes, quite,” Ragnor sighed, gazing out the glass doors at Magnus’ slumped shoulders.

He was looking out at the city, lost in his thoughts. There was a war going on in his heart, and he had no idea which side was winning. Perhaps the city lights below him held the answers. He didn’t realise he’d conjured himself a drink until he brought it up to his lips, and he sighed when he heard the glass doors shut behind him.

“I’m not about to leave Raphael at the mercy of the Clave, don’t worry,” Magnus said softly, the tension in his back easing a little as Catarina’s hand pressed gently between his shoulder blades. 

“I know that. I just wanted to make sure you were alright.”

Magnus huffed, shaking his head. “I don’t know if I can hand her over, Cat.”

“She’s been killing children, Magnus.” Cat told him patiently, “she can’t be allowed to continue.”

“I know. I know.” Magnus muttered, taking another sip of whiskey. “I know.” 

Cat stood next to him, her eyes gentle on his face. “It’s going to be hard. You don’t have to do this alone. We’re right here with you.”

Magnus met her eyes, smiling sadly at her. “Thank you, Cat. You’re a dear friend.” 

“You don’t owe her anything, you know that, don’t you?” Cat asked carefully, and Magnus’ eyes dropped.

“She saved my life.”

“She also ruined it.” 

Magnus scoffed, looking out to the horizon. “I deserved it.” 

“No,” Catarina said firmly, squeezing his shoulder. “No, Magnus. You never, ever deserved that. Ever.” 

“I had sins to atone for, sins I can never undo.” 

“We all have sins.” Cat insisted, turning him to face her. “One of these days you have to forgive yourself for what Asmodeus made you do.” 

Magnus felt his throat thicken, and he so badly wanted to take her advice. But the guilt still needed airing, his suffering hadn’t washed it away, not yet. “It’s not that simple.” 

“Maybe not,” Cat allowed, “but three hundred years of tormenting yourself is enough. It’s enough, Magnus. It’s time to let it go.”

“It doesn’t matter right now,” Magnus insisted, swallowing hard. “What matters is handing Camille to the Clave. That’s all. I have to do that, for Raphael’s and Simon’s sakes.” 

“Yeah, you’re right. But… Really, Magnus. She deserves this. She has to atone for her sins too, doesn’t she?” Cat pointed out patiently.

Magnus had to admit, she had a point. He sighed, and looked over at her. “Yes, she does. But I want to face her alone. Could you make up a reason to take the others away?” 

“Of course I can,” she promised, her hand finding his free one where it rested on the wall. “Anything for you, you know that.” 

He almost wanted to say that he didn’t deserve her friendship, but he knew that it would make her mad, so he stayed quiet, and let his forehead rest on her shoulder, instead.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Alec?” 

His head was heavy. It took a lot of effort to lift it to look up at Clary where she stood over him. 

“What happened?” He asked, putting his hands down on the ground to get up, only to feel a terrible squelch. 

Clary said nothing as he looked down, his breath hitching as he took in the brilliant red coating his arm up to the elbow. He forced himself to his feet, staggering against the wall as he followed Clary into the nearest room. The last thing he remembered he’d been in the training room, comforting a possession victim…

“Mom?” Clary breathed, and Alec’s eyes followed her gaze to Jocelyn, slumped against the wall, her hair covering her face. 

Alec felt his insides heave and turn over as the gaping hole in her chest registered, and his knees weakened. Clary’s expression was unreadable, her eyes glazed. As he opened his mouth to say something, she stepped back away from him and marched out the door.

His mind was utterly blank, and all he could think to do was he drop to his knees next to Jocelyn and move her hair from her face. Her eyes stared right at him, fear frozen in them forever, and Alec’s throat closed up as he swept them shut with his clean hand. Time passed as he stared right into her cooling face, and Raj appeared behind him, his hands on Alec’s shoulders. 

“Hey, it’s alright,” Raj told him, his voice trembling. “Alec, look at me, man.” 

Alec blinked, his eyes dry. It must have been a while since he did that. He slumped into Raj’s arms, and got an awkward hug in return. Raj pulled him to his feet as a couple of shadowhunters rushed into the room to take away the body, and Alec let him steer them towards the ops centre, where Clary was combing security footage, her eyes fiercely focussed on the screen in front of her. 

“Clary,” he said as he reached her, and she held up her hand. On the screen, Alec had Jocelyn pinned to the wall, and as he punched through her chest, he looked up at the security camera, his eyes flat black. “Cla-”

“Are you going to help me kill it?” She demanded, snatching a seraph dagger up from the table. 

Alec swallowed hard, and nodded. “Anything you want. I’m so-”

Clary swept away, her red hair like flames of fury behind her. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Though Alec had been confident that her trial would mean her release, Izzy was incapable of summoning that optimism as one of the Silent Brothers marched her through the City of Bones to the chamber where they kept the Soul Sword. The dream they’d woven in her mind had left her shaken, and the tiny bit of faith she had in the Clave to ultimately do the right thing had gone. She was a danger to the Clave because she’d finally seen them for who they really were; a force of oppression and prejudice. How could they let her go knowing that she knew that?

She was chained to the ground in front of the Soul Sword, and was surprised to see Aldertree standing before her rather than an Inquisitor. Was the Clave trying to keep this trial quiet? 

The Soul Sword shone in the low light of the chamber, and Izzy put her hands over it as instructed, swallowing several times, hoping that her voice wouldn’t waver. Aldertree looked unpeterbed, watching with mild interest as Izzy was dealt with. 

“State your name.” He ordered.

“Isabelle Sophia Lightwood.” 

“You are suspected of being a member of Valentine’s Circle. Are you a member of Valentine’s Circle?” 

“No,” Izzy answered.

“Did you murder a werewolf on Valentine’s orders?” 

“No.” 

Aldertree hummed, the sound barely audible. “How did you come to be on Valentine’s vessel?” 

“I was kidnapped at Camille Belcourt’s residence,” Izzy felt like she wasn’t even saying the words; they were being pulled from her before she could consider them. 

“Why did you not turn yourself in when you escaped Valentine’s vessel?”

“I was afraid for my brother’s safety. I knew that the Clave wouldn’t allow me to save him before my arrest.” 

“Did you not trust that the Clave would safeguard your brother?” 

“No,” Izzy blurted out, her eyes closing. Now she was in for it.

“Are you loyal to the Clave, Isabelle?” 

Izzy dug her teeth into her lip. The Soul Sword gleamed brighter, and trembled in her grasp. Izzy’s eyes snapped open, confused. 

“Answer.” A Silent Brother’s voice boomed, and as the sword calmed, Izzy spoke.

“Yes and no.” She answered. 

“Which is it?”

“Yes and no,” Izzy repeated, “I am opposed to Valentine in every way but the Clave is corrupt and evil.”

“Corrupt and evil?” Aldertree repeated, his voice tinged with disbelief. “Well, how interesting. Will you obey the Clave’s orders without question?” 

Izzy looked right at him. “I will not. Not when they are unjust.” 

“I see.” Aldertree nodded. “Then I have no choice but to sentence you to imprisonment. Indefinitely.” 

“The Clave will fall, one day. I hope I’m there to see it.” Izzy spat, “you all make me sick.” 

“Let’s take her back to her cell, Brother Jeremiah,” Aldertree said, a smirk on his face. 

Izzy’s chains were unlocked from the Soul Sword and Brother Jeremiah wrapped them in his fist, tugging her back towards the cells. Her eyes filled with tears as she was pulled along, hoping that Alec would find a way to accept this. As they made their way through dark corridors, Izzy’s heart felt heavier by the moment, thinking of Max, her father, her mother… They’d have to forget she existed, now, or risk the Clave’s wrath too. And what about Clary? What would become of her?

Somewhere behind them there was the sound of voices, and an almighty crash. Izzy craned her neck to have a look but Brother Jeremiah started walking more purposefully, pulling her along beside him. Aldertree pulled out his seraph blade and went to see what was happening.

“What’s happening?” Izzy demanded, “who’s back there?”

Brother Jeremiah did not answer her, and though his face was sewn shut to any expression of emotion, Izzy could have sworn that there was something fearful in his gait, almost like he was running away from whatever was going on back in the trial room. 

“Give me a weapon, I can help you.” 

There were two circle members standing outside Izzy’s cell, apparently looking for her. When they spotted Izzy and Brother Jeremiah, they started running towards them, and Brother Jeremiah dropped Izzy’s chains to draw his sword. Izzy lunged out of the way as the Silent Brother started to fight the Circle members, her eyes darting around for a weapon. 

Brother Jeremiah managed to disarm the first Circle member, the seraph blade clattering to the floor, and Izzy grabbed it, brandishing it with her chained hands. Just as she was about to help Brother Jeremiah, a familiar voice echoed down the corridor. She spun to see Valentine walking towards them, holding the Soul Sword. Another two Circle members held Aldertree between them. 

“Isabelle! I’m glad to see that you’re alright.” Valentine smiled, and Izzy’s lip curled.

“Stay away from me, Valentine.”

“Don’t be like that, I came back for you! To rescue you!” He told her.

Izzy shook her head, turning away from him to help Brother Jeremiah, but it was too late. He’d been injured, and as Izzy raised her blade, the Circle member stabbed him right through the chest. Izzy’s breath died in her throat, and she went for the Circle member with renewed anger, her bound hands barely slowing her down. 

“Forget him, get the sword!” Aldertree shouted, and Izzy reluctantly obeyed, swiping at the Circle member’s legs to throw him off balance and running back towards Valentine, who raised the sword with a sneer. 

Aldertree managed to wriggle free of the two Circle members, and without thinking Izzy tossed him the seraph blade she held, skidding to a halt in front of Valentine, unarmed. She should have known better, because Aldertree was no match for Valentine. Izzy got to work trying to get another weapon, but someone had already snatched up Brother Jeremiah’s, and the remaining two Circle members were more skilled than the first. 

“Last chance to come with me, Isabelle.” Valentine drawled, shoving Aldertree out of the way on his way to the end of the corridor. In the darkness, Izzy spotted Dot, who looked exhausted. 

“Never!” Izzy shouted, running towards him, determined to punch him, if nothing else, but Dot sent a pulse of magic at her, flinging her body against the wall. As she straightened up, winded, she saw Aldertree take out one of the Circle members, but the other escaped with Valentine through Dot’s portal. 

“Why did you do that?!” Aldertree yelled, shoving the hilt of the seraph blade into her chest.

“Do what?! Save your life?!” Izzy panted. 

“I would have gladly given my life if it meant that the Soul Sword stayed out of Valentine’s hands.” Aldertree sneered, “all you cared about was your pardon.” 

Izzy looked at him with disbelief. “I wasn’t thinking about anything except getting everybody out alive. That’s my job.”

“Your job,” Aldertree spat, “is to do anything necessary to protect the Mortal Instruments.” 

“Are you going to put me back in the cell or not?” Izzy demanded, raising her chin. 

Aldertree narrowed his eyes at her. “I will… Assess you further. At the Institute.”

Izzy’s shoulders relaxed, and she nodded. “Fine. Give me a stele.” 

He didn’t look happy to hand over a stele, but his eyebrow did arch with the slightest note of approval when Izzy removed the Circle rune from her neck and tucked the stele away.

“Let’s go home.” She muttered.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Magnus had no idea what reason Catarina had given the others for leaving the apartment, but he was grateful that it worked. It was utterly silent in the loft as he worked, casting a summoning circle. He’d done them a thousand times before and didn’t take long, though he hesitated a moment over the final ingredient. The grave dirt.

He could dump it over the balcony. He could guarantee Camille’s future like she once guaranteed his.

He knew damn well that he was powerless to do that while Raphael and Simon were at risk. 

Before he could make himself feel more guilty than he already did, he flicked the dirt into the circle, and Camille appeared with her back to him. She must have been getting ready to go out, because she had one earring in and another in her fingers, lifting it to her earlobe. Recognising the loft instantly, she spun around with a look of disbelief on her face, hurriedly putting her other earring in. 

“Magnus?!” She straightened up, her eyes confused. “Why…?”

“Because you’ve put Raphael and Simon at risk. And you need to pay for what you’ve done.” Magnus answered, not quite looking at her.

She began her usual stalk forward, sizing him up, and he conjured a cage of silver around her. “What do you plan to do, Magnus, hmmm? Kill me?” 

“Never,” Magnus insisted, wringing his hands together. “I would never kill you.” 

“So… What? You’ll give me to the Clave, who’ll burn me to ashes themselves?” Camille guessed. “You don’t have the spine.” 

Magnus clenched his jaw. “You’ve been reckless, Camille. Out of control. Children have died. You’ve turned people without thought and left them to the mercy of the Clave. They’re your children. Your family. And you abandoned them. I can’t have children of my own, I would kill to have that. I would give anything to have a real family, and you… Just throw yours in the gutter.” 

“Oh, not this again,” Camille scoffed, wrapping her manicured fingers around the bars of her cage. “After four hundred years I’d have thought you’d have gotten over the fact that you’re shooting blanks. Just another thing to add to your long list of insecurities. When are you going to grow up?” 

“In just a few moments,” Magnus replied, raising his chin, “when I send you to Alicante.” 

Camille apparently realised that he was serious, because she shifted her weight onto one hip, batting her eyelashes at him. “We both know you still love me.” 

Magnus let out a noise of disbelief, raking his hand through his hair.

“I’m the only one you can count on, Magnus. Have I ever let you fall?” Camille asked, her voice saccharine sweet. 

Magnus turned from her, his hands on his hips. “Let me fall?” He chuckled bitterly. “You kicked me off the goddamn edge more times than I could count!” 

“Your memory is short.” Camille’s tone was suddenly sharp. “If I hadn’t been there that night in London…”

“Then I’d have been spared one hundred years of misery.” Magnus replied coldly, shifting to face her. “Perhaps I really have grown up. Because you know what I’ve just realised, Camille? You never cared about me, not for a goddamn second. You saw a vulnerable person and you knew that I would do anything you asked. And the best part was you didn’t even need to get me hooked on yin fen like you did all the others. You could just… Bat your eyelashes. Crook a finger, and I would come running. And I was stupid enough to fall for it.” 

“That is completely untr-”

“Is it?!” Magnus shouted, his voice wavering. “Because I like to think I have a pretty good memory, and I cannot think of one time you ever told me you loved me that wasn’t twisted with manipulation. Not one.” 

Camille looked surprised when he met her eyes. “I loved you more than anything.” 

Magnus shook his head. “Like a prize kitten. Nothing more.” 

“Magnus, you were-” 

“Goodbye, Camille.” He threw a portal over the cage and she disappeared. 

For one hundred years, he’d heard her excuses, her false promises, her lies of love. He was never going to give her a breath to manipulate him again. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When Izzy and Aldertree got back to the Institute, it was obvious that something huge was going down. Everyone was armed, stalking the corridors in twos, on high alert. While Aldertree asked for a report, Izzy slipped away to find Alec and Clary. There was nothing more important than making sure they were alright. Perhaps Valentine had come straight here from the City of Bones. 

They were in the training rooms, and as Izzy ran in, a huge grey plume of smoke came barrelling towards her. She stood her ground and raised her blade, but it ducked out of the way and went straight for her chest. Squeezing her eyes shut, she tried to resist the demon, and she felt a rush of power as something launched her backwards. 

“Izzy?!” Alec’s panicked voice rang out, and Izzy heard a scream of rage, and as she opened her eyes saw the last of the orange sparks evaporate on the tip of Clary’s blade. 

As she and Alec watched, Clary dropped her weapon, sinking down to her knees. She was facing away from them, and Izzy looked to Alec with a question in her eyes. He helped her to sit up, swallowing hard.

“Jocelyn’s dead,” he whispered. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sometimes, on his better days, Magnus got rid of all the liquor in his loft, and promised himself that he would stop conjuring it when things got tough. Today he was grateful that his trolley was full, because it meant that he had two misery whiskeys to choose from. He was on his second glass of the smoother, more expensive one when Catarina and the others returned, Raphael and Simon carrying odds and ends that looked like they could be used in some fictional potion or other.

“You shouldn’t be drinking before summoning, what are you…?” Raphael scolded, though his voice trailed off when Magnus looked up to meet his eyes. 

“Camille is in the Clave’s hands. The two of you,” Magnus raised his glass to Raphael and Simon, “are off the hook.” 

“We could have been here, Junior,” Ragnor pointed out, plucking the bottle from next to Magnus’ foot and conjuring himself a glass.

“I know you could have.” Magnus shrugged, looking down into his drink. “I wanted to be alone.” 

“How was it?” Catarina asked, sitting next to him and putting her arm around his shoulder. 

Magnus sighed. “It was… Awful. But not as awful as I’d feared.” 

“Thank you for doing that, man.” Simon said quietly, “You didn’t have to.” 

“Of course I did.” Magnus got up off the couch and wandered over to the balcony doors. “When I was young, and finding my way in the shadow world, I was easily influenced, confused. When I finally met Ragnor and found in him someone who was able to guide me properly, I told myself that I would never let another downworlder struggle to find a home like I did.” 

“And you’ve always been a home for the young ones, Junior.” Ragnor assured him. “You’ve always looked after the people around you.” 

“He’s right, Magnus,” Raphael insisted, “you have. And we appreciate it.” 

Catarina watched Ragnor, Raphael and Simon watch the stooped curve of Magnus’ shoulders, her heart heavy. It hurt, to see Magnus isolate himself, to reject the appreciation and love that others gave him. He adored his family, but he couldn’t see that the feeling was mutual. 

Some day, she swore to herself, she would witness him believe in someone’s love.

And she’d also punch Camille Belcourt in her pretty, despicable face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you thought down below or in the #SFPfic tag on twitter!


	5. Episode 5: Dust and Shadows

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all! This is one of the heaviest chapters so far - Clary is obviously grieving, BUT we also have a lovely, fluffy first date with Malec, so hopefully it balances out in the end. We are officially halfway through Scrambling For Purchase! It's been a SUPER tough couple of weeks for me - I had to say goodbye to my partner for another 6 months after a great weekend together, and the last few days I've been relentlessly under fire for calling out transphobia on Twitter, so your support would mean THE WORLD. I'm reading all your livetweets in the #SFPfic hashtag, and they fill me with joy. Much love to all who've already been tweeting!
> 
> Extra special shout out to Zanya for helping with the Spanish translation in this week's chapter! It should be fairly obvious by context what Alec says but: "Of course I can speak Spanish!" and "And you?" are what he says during the first date.
> 
> Trigger warnings!
> 
> Guilt: Alec is suffering with a lot of guilt after Jocelyn’s death. Throughout the chapter he is soothed and triggered again. Of course, no-one except Alec blames Alec, though Clary does reflect on how hard it is to see Alec cut up about it and feel emotionally unable to support him. Alec supports Clary’s unwise plan to bring her mother back out of guilt.
> 
> Grief: Of course, Clary, Luke and Simon are all grieving for Jocelyn. Clary makes some questionable decisions because of it. I’ve never really lost anyone close to me, so I found it hard to empathise with them - I hope that I did the terrible experience justice. Clary goes to Magnus for help and he discusses his own experiences with grief. She rejects Izzy’s attempts at comforting and talking sense into her.
> 
> References to emotional abuse: Magnus and Alec discuss Magnus’ relationship with Camille - Alec is very supportive. 
> 
> References to self-harm/unhealthy coping mechanisms/suicidal tendencies: Magnus calls Alec out (lovingly) about his refusal to use an iratze to heal himself. He is very supportive, and shares his own experiences with feelings of low self-worth and suicide attempts.
> 
>  
> 
> Abusive/unhealthy parent/child relationship: Maryse tries to reconcile with Izzy, but Izzy rejects it because of Maryse’s quickness to abandon her while she was imprisoned.
> 
> Cis people bullshit: Magnus has a moment where he overthinks what he should order for Alec out of nerves, thinking that beer would make Alec think that Magnus thinks Alec is manly. Maia calls him on his shit and he apologises. Iris later promises to change Alec into a ‘real man’, with the implication that he is not currently a real man.
> 
> Slut-shaming/internalised biphobia?: Alec flirts with Magnus by asking him if he’s really THAT experienced in the bedroom, but Magnus misreads his question as an attack and presumes that Alec thinks he’s a slut, calling himself one in the process. Alec assures him that he’s not judging him. Later on, Magnus guilts himself about being attracted to Alec without his shirt on, and again, Alec assures him that he wants Magnus to want him sexually.
> 
> Frank conversation about sex: Alec is thirsty as hell and Magnus clocks him on it, lmao
> 
> Emotional manipulation/manipulation of race and gender: Iris convinces Clary that Magnus’ internalised racism against warlocks is the reason why he won’t do reanimation spells. She attempts to manipulate Alec in a similar way, asking if he’d be suspicious of her if she was a shadowhunter offering the same thing, to which Alec’s answer is yes. Alec and Iris have a stand-off about ¾ of the way through the chapter where Iris tries to manipulate Alec into letting her go and giving her back her mundane victims by promising to turn him into a cisgender man.
> 
> Abuse of women: As in canon, Iris is using mundane women to birth warlocks. The characters here are a lot more disturbed by it than they were in the show and bring them away from Iris’ abuse.
> 
> Heated arguments: Towards the end of the chapter, Izzy has heated arguments with both Alec and Clary about their actions.
> 
> Needles: Magnus extracts blood from Clary in order to test it.
> 
> Racism: Aldertree attempts to stop Luke, Simon and Magnus from attending Jocelyn’s funeral, and Magnus threatens him in order to protect Luke and Simon’s presence at the funeral.
> 
> Lying: Magnus lies to Alec about fate to help ease his guilt.

“You should be with Clary.” 

“She’s with Luke and Simon.” Izzy murmured, perching on the wall next to him as he notched an exploding arrow and fired it off into the inky blackness of the night sky. “I wanted to be with you.” 

Alec swallowed hard, reaching back for another arrow. 

“It wasn’t your fault.” 

Alec’s jaw muscles jumped, and he lowered his bow. “You kept the demon out. I let it in. I’m weak. If I had been strong like you and Clary…” 

“Alec,” Izzy put a gentle hand on his arm. “Big brother. I have no idea why the demon was repelled from me. Maybe it was residual energy from the Soul Sword, I don’t know. But I do know that you are not weak. You are made of steel.” 

“Doesn’t feel like it.” Alec replied, his voice wavering. 

“Clary doesn’t blame you, you know that, don’t you? No-one blames you.” 

“You don’t know that.” Alec snapped, “you have no way of knowing that.” 

Izzy tried to grab for him as he jumped past her over the wall, watching as he landed in a forward roll on the grass below, his endurance rune glinting in the dark. She watched him disappear into the night, and hoped that he’d listen to Magnus.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Clary and Luke were both quiet throughout their meal at the Jade Wolf, and Simon chattered enough for the three of them, his nervous energy strangely soothing to the two of them as they ate. Luke even managed a huff of amusement when Simon attempted to eat an egg roll and gagged. Clary scoffed at him, and nudged him with her elbow.

Suddenly she was struck by the time she replaced the cinnamon powder in the kitchen with chilli powder, and Simon and her Mom spluttered on the pancakes she made for them on the first of April, and her lower lip started to wobble as she remember the half-hearted scolding that her Mom had given her through bouts of laughter and glasses of milk. Her fork clattered onto the table, and she put her hands over her face. 

“Hey,” Luke murmured, his hand curling around her forearm. “Hey, it’s-” 

But he couldn’t say it was alright, because it wasn’t, and he sighed. It was hard for him to hold it together, especially seeing Clary so upset, but he had to. He had to be strong enough for the both of them. 

Simon put his arm around Clary and let her bury her face in his shoulder as hers started to shake. Luke put his hand over his mouth and willed the tears springing to his eyes not to fall, looking away at the plant in the corner. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Biscuit,” Magnus opened his arms as soon as he saw that it was Clary at his door, and she fell into him, her eyes raw and her hair tangled. “What do you need?” 

Clary sniffed, and looked up at him with entreating green eyes, and Magnus remembered this exact same expression from ten years before, with her begging him not to let her Mommy be upset. It disturbed Magnus, that so little time had passed and yet Clary had grown up and had her life flipped upside down in more ways than one. “I need her back.” 

It didn’t surprise him. It never surprised him, when grieving people came to him like this. He put his arm tightly around her and led her to the living room. He sat her down on the sofa and knelt down in front of her, a sympathetic smile on his face. “Biscuit, listen to me, very carefully. Magic can fix a lot of things, but it can’t take away grief. It can’t undo death, not in the way we want. I am so, so sorry that this has happened, Clary. But I’m afraid beyond helping you in practical ways, there’s nothing I can do.” 

“There’s no spell…?” 

“There are spells. Reanimation spells, soul reclamation spells, but it’s not something I would ever, could ever do. They’re barbaric, dark things, and the results are rarely favourable. Biscuit,” he took her arms, rubbing them soothingly. “I know exactly how you feel. My mother died in front of me when I was young. I know the exact shade of pain that your heart is in.”

Clary’s lip wobbled. “How did you deal with it?” 

Magnus smiled slightly. “Well, I can tell you this with complete certainty. I dealt with it in a way far unhealthier than anything you are thinking of doing. But time. Time will heal all, I promise. For now… Just keep going. Cry until you can’t cry anymore, and just keep putting one foot in front of the other.” 

“I don’t know if I can.” 

God, she sounded so young. Magnus felt his throat close. 

“I do.” He told her, squeezing her shoulders lightly. “Okay?” 

Clary nodded, swiping at her nose with the back of her hand, her eyes dropping to her knees. “The um, the funeral is Sunday, at the Institute. Will you… Come? I know you and her…”

“Of course I will. I promise.” 

“Okay.” Clary whispered, forcing a small smile at him as she got up. “Thank you, Magnus. For everything.” 

“You know where I am if you need to talk, alright? And tell Luke that offer extends to him, too.” Magnus reminded her, walking her to the door. 

“I will, thanks. I’ll see you Sunday.” 

“You sure you don’t want a portal?” 

“Nah, I’m good.” Clary insisted quietly. “Gonna go and sit in the old apartment for a while, try and uhh…”

Magnus nodded as her voice trailed off, and he hugged her again. “Be safe.” 

Clary sniffed, pressing her face into his chest briefly, before breaking away and dashing out the door. 

It was no secret that Magnus had not been Jocelyn’s biggest fan, but his heart broke for Clary. She deserved better than the hand she’d been dealt; Jocelyn had barely been back for a week before getting ripped away in a pointless demon attack. It occurred to him that Alec might have texted him back, so he went to grab his phone from where it was charging in his room. 

No response. 

Magnus sighed out loud, pocketing it. He hoped Alec wasn’t being too hard on himself, though, if he knew Alec, he was no doubt tearing himself into pieces over the whole thing. 

The sound of the rain on the glass doors of the balcony made Magnus glance up on his way through to the kitchen, and he spotted a slight movement. His eyes zeroed in on the shape of Alec, sat on the wall, and Magnus conjured a towel into his hands as he walked towards the doors. Alec looked a bit sheepish when Magnus beckoned him in, his hair and clothes dripping, the tip of his nose scarlet red. 

“You’ll catch your death out there, runes or not.” Magnus murmured, wrapping the towel around his shoulders and magicking another one for his hair. They were warm from magic, and Alec pressed one of them to his face. “You could have knocked, I wasn’t doing anything important.” 

“I know. I just, uh… Wanted to be close without talking, I guess.” Alec shrugged, wishing he’d thought to hide when the light in the living room turned on. He hadn’t meant for Magnus to see him like this. 

“Would you like to borrow some clothes? Your binder’s going to shrink if you don’t get it dried.” 

Alec nodded, chewing the inside of his cheek. “Yeah, thanks. I don’t have a sports bra with me…”

“Which of your drawers is it in, in the Institute?” Magnus asked, leading Alec to his bedroom, where he found a pair of cotton lounge pants and an old t-shirt. 

“Uhh… Third one down.” 

Magnus closed his eyes, concentrating, and plucked it from the drawer, the garment appearing in his hands with a flash of blue. Alec smiled a little despite himself as Magnus handed over all the clothes. 

“Thanks.” He headed into the bathroom to change, hesitating in the doorway. “You don’t have to… I don’t want sympathy. I didn’t mean for you to-”

“I know, Alexander.” Magnus assured him, “go and get out of those clothes, we can’t have you getting a cold. Patient as I am, I make a terrible nurse.”

Alec snorted, and shut the door behind him. He was quick to change, towelling off his hair as he did so, averting his eyes from the mirror. “How are you doing?” He asked, his voice raised enough for Magnus to be able to hear him through the door.

“I’m fine,” Magnus answered, “keeping busy.” 

When he emerged, Alec’s eyebrow was quirked, and his eyes accusatory. Magnus’ shoulders slumped.

“I’ve been better.” 

“Simon mentioned Camille, when he came to get Clary earlier. Said you might need some, and I quote, ‘sexual healing’.” Alec huffed, shaking his head. “Dickhead.” 

Magnus smiled weakly. “We don’t have to talk about her, Alec.” 

“No, we don’t,” Alec agreed, sitting down next to Magnus on the bed, his thumb digging into the cut on his hand from his jump off the Institute roof. “But we can if you want to.” 

“I don’t want to make you uncomfortable,” Magnus replied, glancing at Alec’s face. 

Alec shook his head. “I’m not uncomfortable. Talk to me.” 

Magnus smiled slightly. “I’ll talk to you if you talk to me.” 

Alec’s eyes narrowed a little, and Magnus’ smile grew. “Deal, I guess.”

“Why haven’t you used an iratze?” 

That was not the first question Alec had expected Magnus to ask, and he tucked his hands between his legs. Magnus tutted, and wrapped his fingers around Alec’s wrist, tugging his hand free so he could see the cut. 

“I didn’t notice it.” Alec answered, and Magnus hummed, lifting the injured hand to his mouth, kissing right next to the cut. Alec swallowed hard, meeting Magnus’ eyes as his lips made contact with his skin. “Okay, maybe I did.” 

Magnus’ magic knitted the skin back together, and after a few seconds it was good as new. Magnus kissed Alec’s knuckles briefly before releasing his grasp, and Alec hoped he wasn’t blushing. “You think that the pain here will take away from the pain in there,” Magnus nodded towards Alec’s chest. “It won’t.” 

“I know. Rationally, I know.” Alec murmured, licking his lips. “I just… I don’t know. I couldn’t find the will to use my stele. All I can feel is just… Shame. And guilt. I don’t know how I’m ever going to go back and face Clary. I can’t even think about looking into her face. I don’t know what I’d say.” 

“You may not know right now,” Magnus said gently, “but you will. You would blow up the very ground you stand on to make something right, Alexander. I’ve seen it up close.” 

Alec smiled slightly at the memory. “That stunt in the hospital was a one-off. I used all my bravery up in that one moment. Now I just feel… Scared.”

“I get it,” Magnus assured him, “I’ve been there.” 

“I can’t imagine you ever feeling like this.” Alec admitted.

Magnus snorted, putting his arm around Alec’s shoulders. “Oh, Angel, you don’t know the half of it. That was how I met Camille. Well, it’s how I ended up falling for her. We knew each other in passing, and she just happened to be crossing the bridge I was preparing to jump off.” 

“You…?” 

“Mmmm. A long time ago. I’m doing a lot better these days.” Magnus explained, “but I went through rough patches, just like yours.” 

Alec turned to face him, crossing his legs. “So Camille helped you through your… Rough patches?” 

“Yes… And no.” Magnus said slowly, mirroring Alec’s position. His fingertips rubbed together absently, his eyes distant with memory. “At first, she seemed kind, she made me feel taken care of. But uh, she brought out the worst in me. I was weak, vulnerable. And she kept me that way because it suited her.”

“That’s fucked up.” 

“Yeah,” Magnus agreed, smiling sadly. “It is.” 

Alec reached for Magnus’ hands, and kissed the backs of them in turn. “She deserves to be in prison. Not just for what she did to Simon and the other people she killed, but for what she did to you, too. There’s no excuse for that.” 

“The most ridiculous part of all this is that I still feel…” Magnus pressed his lips together.

“You can say it, Magnus, I won’t take it personally.” Alec promised, squeezing Magnus’ hands lightly. 

“I still feel like I owe her something. Part of me craves closure, I want to hear her admit that she used me, and that she regrets it, because she cared about me for real. And mean it. But that’s never going to happen, and it’s…”

“Hard to swallow.” Alec murmured, and Magnus nodded, his thumb rubbing over the back of Alec’s hand. 

“It is. I have to accept that it happened, and that it’s never going to be made right. That’s something that I have to come to terms with.” He sighed, his eyes lifting to Alec’s face. 

Alec smiled a little, leaning forward to kiss Magnus’ cheek. “That’s fair. And it’s hard. But hopefully, you and I are gonna cram our heads so full of nice things that there won’t be any room for her bullshit. I heard that, um… Relationships, they… Take effort. And I wanna put the effort in with you.”

“Well, I’m all for effort.” Magnus chuckled, leaning into Alec’s touch. “Maybe we could start by going on that first date?” 

“Yeah, but um… D’you think we could just lie here for a while first? I want… I want to be close.” 

Magnus lay down, lifting his feet to peel off his socks, and patted the pillow next to him. “Come on, I know that’s code for ‘I want cuddles but I’m too manly to ask for them.’” 

“Alright, you don’t have to expose me like that,” Alec grumbled, unlacing his boots, and Magnus laughed. Alec cracked a smile as he crawled up the bed to lie down next to Magnus, the two of them so close that their noses were almost touching, their legs tangling together. Magnus’ toes were cool against Alec’s ankle, and he wriggled his feet away. “It tickles.”

“You’re ticklish?” Magnus asked gleefully, and Alec gave him a warning glare. “I’ll remember that.” 

Alec huffed, and pressed closer to bury his face in Magnus’ neck, his eyes falling shut when Magnus’ arm went around him. He wasn’t sure where exactly his arms were supposed to go; one of his hands was under his cheek but that meant that his elbow was digging into Magnus’ ribs and that couldn’t be comfortable. He shifted enough to straighten his arm and realised that if he did that, his hand was brushing Magnus’ crotch, so that was no good either. 

Magnus chuckled as Alec lifted his lower arm, and sat up, guiding it across his pillow. “How’s that?” He asked, lying down so Alec’s arm was under his neck, and Alec made a happy noise, tentatively finding Magnus’ feet with his own. They were a little less cold now, so Alec let his toes tuck under the soles of Magnus’ feet.

“Yeah, perfect.” Alec mumbled, kissing Magnus’ jaw. “Would you judge me if I fell asleep like this?” 

“Mmmm, no, since I’m about five minutes from sleeping myself.” 

“Is it rubbish if we nap for our first date?” 

“I’ve had worse.” Magnus smirked, breathing in the smell of Alec’s damp hair. He smelled like home already, and perhaps Magnus should be a little cautious about what that meant, but he was too happy and comfortable to care.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“It has been decided that the Clave’s charges against Isabelle Lightwood were erroneous,” Aldertree announced, standing next to Izzy in the ops centre. None of the shadowhunters watching them looked convinced, and Izzy wished that Alec and Clary were there. “As a result, Clary Fairchild’s charges have also been dropped. Both of them will return to duty in due time and this whole matter will be forgotten. Dismissed.” 

“They aren’t going to forget.” Izzy told him. He smiled placidly.

“Then I imagine you’ll have to work hard to earn back their trust. Keep your heads down.” 

“I’m sure you’d like that,” Izzy muttered, looking away down the hallway to the morgue. “I should go and check on Clary.”

Aldertree nodded. “I would keep a close eye on Miss Fairchild. Goodness knows what ill-advised schemes she’ll dream up now that her mother’s passed on. I’d hate to see her get into trouble again.” 

“Oh, I’m sure.” Izzy replied sarcastically, turning on her heel. She wished that Aldertree would just admit he wanted to see them dead or banished; his smarmy faux-concern was nauseating. Down the corridor, she could see her Mom walking towards her, and part of her considered just walking out of the Institute altogether. Between Clary’s grief and Alec’s guilt, she already had enough to deal with.

“Isabelle,” Maryse caught up to her in her indecision, pulling her into a hug. Izzy’s arms stayed at her sides. “I’m so happy that the Clave saw sense, you’ve no idea-”

“Save it,” Izzy pulled away, swallowing hard. “You didn’t come to visit me in the City of Bones, and when I asked Alec about you and Dad, it didn’t take a genius to realise what his awkward silence meant.” 

Maryse shook her head. “I wanted to find you so badly, Isabelle, I let Alec use his rune against my better judgement. I promise you, I wanted you home safe.”

“And when I was condemned you left me to rot in a cell.” 

“I had to think of Alec and Max! If we were seen sympathising with you-”

“God, would you just… Leave me alone?” Izzy’s shoulders rose. “Look, we both know that I’m a huge disappointment to you and Dad. I’m never going to be someone that you’re proud of, Mom. I’m not going to marry some nice Clave boy and pop out a couple of kids and mindlessly obey every order the Clave gives me, I’m not gonna do it. Just go back to Alicante and pretend me and Alec don’t exist. Raise Max. Just… Leave us alone.” She didn’t wait for Maryse’s answer, pressing past her to walk to the morgue.

Clary was sitting on a stool next to the bed where Jocelyn’s body lay, the sheet pulled down so Clary could look into her face. After a brief moment of hesitation by the doorway, Izzy walked over to her and put her hands on her shoulders, dropping a kiss of the top of her head. Clary leaned back into her and sighed. 

“Are you hungry?” Izzy asked, rubbing Clary’s shoulder. She shook her head in response. “Oh, right, you ate with Luke.” 

“Yeah,” Clary replied, not taking her eyes from her mother’s face. “I went to see Magnus, too.”

“Yeah?”

“Mmmm. He said that he wouldn’t bring her back.” She explained, pulling Izzy’s arms around her clavicle and kissing them. “But he didn’t say it was impossible.”

Izzy sighed. “It’s never a good idea to bring someone back from the dead, babe, Magnus is right not to play with that kind of magic.” 

“But we got Simon back.” 

“That was different,” Izzy reminded her, “Simon was already a fledgling, and besides, if you remember I told you that was a bad idea, too.” 

“Exactly,” Clary turned to look at her. “You thought that would end badly, but it worked out fine. Simon’s doing great.” 

Izzy shook her head. “Simon has Magnus and Raphael to look after him.”

“Mom will have me!” 

“Clary,” Izzy put her hands on the other woman’s shoulders. “I know that you miss her, and that it hurts. But trust me. Bringing someone back from the dead is a bad idea. Let her rest. She’s at peace now.” 

Clary’s eyes stung, and she pushed Izzy’s hands from her. “How do you know?” 

“Because she’s free of Valentine, free of the Clave. Wherever she is now, she’s finally free. Hold onto that.” 

Clary turned back to look at her mother’s face, her lower lip wobbling. “What good is all this if it can’t bring her back to me?” 

Izzy pressed her lips together. “I’m sorry, Clary. I am.”

“Just go away.” 

Izzy swallowed hard, and nodded, backing out of the morgue. She was going to have to keep an eye on Clary over the next few days.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Magnus woke from their nap first. It was nice, waking up in someone’s arms, and he hummed happily, closing his eyes for a moment longer. Alec was snoring into his hair, and squeezed him a little tighter when he moved. That was fine with Magnus; he didn’t want to go anywhere, anyway. He wondered what they were going to do when Alec woke up. As nice as the nap was, Magnus was getting hungry, and he hoped that Alec would be up for going out to get something to eat. 

“Mmmmm…” Alec grumbled, nuzzling into Magnus’ hair. “You awake?” 

“Yeah,” Magnus answered, shifting so they could see each others’ faces. “Sleep well?” 

“Mmmmm. Like a baby.” 

Magnus smiled, rubbing his nose against Alec’s. Right on cue, Alec’s stomach growled. “I was thinking we could go out to dinner.” 

Alec finally opened his eyes, blinking a few times. “Yeah, that would be nice. Maybe some drinks after.” 

“See, not even finished our first date and already we’re on the same wavelength.” Magnus teased, sitting up slowly. 

They ended up at a mid-ranged restaurant; Alec didn’t have any fancy clothes with him, and he didn’t want to go back to the Institute and change. Magnus didn’t mind, since he didn’t really want to have to change either. His make-up still looked amazing after his impromptu nap, and he didn’t want to just wipe it off to do another face. They got an intimate table in the corner next to the window, and Alec was glad to see that the menu was in Spanish. Up until now, he’d been impressed by Magnus again and again, and now it was his turn to impress Magnus. 

“You want me to run a translation spell?” Magnus asked, glancing over the menu. 

“No, I got it.” Alec shrugged, smirking a little when he noticed Magnus’ eyebrow quirk. 

“I didn’t know you spoke Spanish.” 

“Por supuesto que puedo hablar español,” Alec hummed. “¿Y tu?” 

Magnus grimaced. “I’ve gotten a little rusty. And lazy, since I invented a translation spell. I haven’t spoken fluent Spanish for… Oh, fifty years? Raphael preferred to practise his English when speaking to me, so I haven’t used it much since he started learning.” 

“My Mom uses it to me, Izzy and Max when she wants to say something that she doesn’t want Dad to understand,” Alec explained, putting his napkin over his lap. 

“That sounds…”

“Unhealthy? Oh, hell yeah.” Alec snorted. “They aren’t exactly winning any couple of the year awards.” 

Magnus smiled slightly, leaning forward. “Then where did you learn to be so romantic?” 

Alec squirmed.

“Oh, come on. Don’t tell me it was Nicholas Sparks novels.” Magnus teased.

“Worse,” Alec admitted, “Nicholas Sparks movies.” 

“Oh, Lord.” Magnus tutted, and Alec put his face in his hands. “Alexander, what are we going to do with you?”

“I don’t know, I grew up with Izzy! You know Izzy, you can’t say no to anything she suggests, upsetting her is like kicking a puppy.” 

Magnus laughed, reaching across to run his fingers across the back of Alec’s hand. “Never fear. We’ll get you educated on quality cinema.”

“I’m surprised you still have the patience to keep up with mundane culture. After 400 years I think I’d have given up. I mean, I’m 26 and I’ve already given up trying to recognise the starlets on billboards.” Alec admitted, glancing up as the waiter arrived at their table. 

“Can I take your drink order, gentlemen?” She asked, and Magnus plucked up the wine list, his eyes scanning down the list. 

“I think the house merlot will suffice. You good with red wine, Alexander?” He checked, looking at Alec through his eyelashes. 

“Yeah, yeah, that would be great.” Alec nodded, crossing his ankles under the table. Honestly he had no idea whether he’d like it, but he knew if push came to shove Magnus could do his fancy vanilla-tasty-magic trick. 

The waiter walked away, and Magnus narrowed his eyes a little. “Sorry, what was your question?”

“Mundane culture.” Alec prompted, and Magnus grinned.

“Oh, yes. I don’t know, I sort of have to keep up. I have to be approachable to warlocks of all ages, and it wouldn’t do to be making pop culture references from seventy years ago. I have a Spotify account that I make great use of, though honestly the charts these days? A mess. I also have Netflix, and a membership at the movie theatre a few blocks from the loft. Luke loves his action movies, and Ragnor loves period drama, Cat adores a thriller, and Raphael loves rom-coms. Honestly they all just like to complain about the inaccuracies. But they’re good company. Though, I suppose if you’re a rom-com fan yourself,” Magnus smirked, “I may just have to oust Raphael from his position.” 

Alec shrugged, scratching his neck. “Do you ever, you know… Sleep?” 

Magnus bit his lip to keep from laughing, resting his chin on his hand and his elbow on the table. “Occasionally, yes.” 

“Hmmm… Well, I like sleep. A lot.” 

“I liked sleeping with you.” Magnus hummed, “I could get used to that, at least.”

Alec hoped his skin wasn’t glowing as much as his heart was. “Yeah, me too. I thought it would be weird, sleeping with somebody, y’know, breathing on me, but it was nice. Maybe I could stay at your place sometimes? When I have the night off?” 

Magnus opened his hand and put it across the table, and Alec took it, intertwining their fingers. “I’d like that a lot.” 

The two of them shared a long moment of eye contact, Alec memorising the warmth in Magnus’ beautiful brown eyes and how the candlelight made them glint almost gold, and God, he was fucked. So, so, utterly fucked. Was it supposed to happen this fast? Should he just say those three little words now? Magnus looked as smitten as he felt, maybe he was dying to say it too. 

Alec cleared his throat, and dropped his eyes to the menu. “We should decide what we wanna eat before she comes back, right?”

“Yes, I imagine she’ll appreciate that,” Magnus chuckled. 

They didn’t let go of each others’ hands as they perused their menus, Alec’s fingertips running along the smooth surfaces of Magnus’ rings. It was nice. Magnus chanced a glance up at Alec to see him reading the menu with interest, and he smiled. Just a couple of weeks ago Alec had been all set to marry a woman he hated, to remain closeted forever, and now he was here, out in the open, proud to be with Magnus. Happy to be holding his hand like this across the table, where anybody could see them. 

He bit back the words that were trying to force themselves out, tamped down on the pride and admiration he had for Alec, because it was too damn soon for Magnus to be feeling this much, this right. For Magnus, this, whatever this was between them, was a once in a century deal. But he was only Alec’s first love; a love that could quickly flame out. He had to be a little careful. 

It took them forever to eat their food. The conversation flowed easily, and they kept breaking into laughter, and forgetting that they were supposed to be eating. A couple of times Magnus had to shush Alec for disturbing the other patrons with his obnoxious New York cackle, but he loved it all the same. Alec insisted on sharing embarrassing stories before Izzy got a chance to, and Magnus shared some of his own, too. He had to admit it was smart; Catarina had all the dirt on Magnus and she had one-on-one time with Alec every week at the clinic. 

“No, no, I got this.” Alec insisted when the bill came, and Magnus quirked his eyebrow. “Listen, let’s be honest with each other here,” he handed the waiter his credit card, “you have more money than I do.”

“Right…” Magnus said slowly, “so it’s less trouble for me to-”

“Exactly!” Alec shrugged, “you’re probably going to pick up the bill most of the time, right? Like, when we’ve settled into being a couple, you’re the rich one, you’re gonna spoil me. So, I want this date to be special. So I have to pay.”

Magnus smiled so hard his cheeks hurt. “Okay.” When was the last time someone had treated him? He honestly couldn’t remember. 

“Though you are going to have to buy the drinks wherever we go after this, ‘cause I’ve probably just gone into my overdraft.” Alec joked, and Magnus snorted, standing to hold up Alec’s coat for him. After a quick kiss, Alec slipped his arms through the sleeves and pushed his chair in as Magnus put on his own coat. “Thanks,” he told the waiter upon getting his card back, offering his arm to Magnus. 

“I wish you’d never told me about the Nicholas Sparks thing, now I’m going to be able to guess all your moves.” Magnus teased, rubbing Alec’s bicep as they headed out of he restaurant. 

“There’s a couple I picked up from Izzy, but most of them only worked when I had long hair.” Alec admitted.

Magnus shook his head. “Don’t tell me, it’s her hair flip and wink.” 

“It’s a good move!” 

“It is a good move,” Magnus allowed, “I have used it myself.” 

“Wait, you had long hair?!” Alec gasped, walking a little closer to Magnus once they were outside. He should’ve worn a scarf. 

Magnus nodded, “it was fashionable for men to have long hair in the 1700s. I’ll have to see if I can find a painting from then. I looked very fetching with it all curled.”

“What does it say about me that I feel like I’d definitely find you hot with a perm?” 

“It says that you have terrible taste, but that I’m lucky enough to be taking advantage of it. I would never be caught dead with my hair in a perm.” 

“One day I’m gonna convince you to magic it like that for like 30 seconds.” 

“Oh, I doubt that.” 

Alec bit his lip. “You know, I don’t know if you know this, but I am very competitive. I am not one to back down from a challenge.” 

“Then perhaps,” Magnus stopped in his tracks, and tugged Alec across the street, “we should give the cocktail bar a miss and go somewhere where we can… Flex our competitive muscles.” 

There was a challenge on Magnus’ face, and for a second Alec couldn’t breathe with how badly he wanted to stick his tongue in Magnus’ mouth, but he quickly shoved the thought aside and tilted his head to the side. “Lead the way, then.” 

It didn’t occur to Magnus that perhaps it was a bad idea to bring Alec to the Hunter’s Moon until they were already through the door. Izzy had gotten thrown through the window they’d just walked past a little over a week ago, but to his credit Alec didn’t say a word as they headed inside. Magnus glanced over and saw that Maia was behind the bar, and sighed in relief.

“Not to worry,” Magnus assured, “now that everything’s been worked out with your sister, I’m sure we’ll be perfectly welcome.” 

Alec shrugged one shoulder. “I just feel bad. Encroaching on this space. You sure it’s okay?” 

Magnus smirked. “Well, Maia might put a little premium on your drinks, but since you’re with me maybe she’ll let it slide.” 

“Maia?” Alec glanced up, looking at the girl behind the bar. “Wait…”

Magnus chuckled at the intense confusion on Alec’s face as he put the pieces together.

“But… She’s Luke’s beta.”

“Yes, she is.” Magnus said patiently.

“She… I caught Izzy kissing her once.” 

“Yes, you did.” Magnus sighed, patting Alec’s shoulder. “And they did a lot more than kiss.” 

Alec shook his head, wonder in his voice. “She can’t just date any old member of the shadow world, huh? First the beta of the New York pack, then a Seelie Knight, now Valentine’s daughter. I swear she could make the King of the Vampires fall at her feet, she’s so damn powerful. How am I even related to her?!” 

“Need I remind you that you are currently on a date with the High Warlock of Brooklyn?” Magnus hummed.

Alec smiled, slipping his hand down Magnus’ back. “Huh. Would you look at that? Maybe I’m not as useless as I thought.” 

Magnus kissed him on the cheek, and took his hand. “I’ll introduce you.”

“I think we’ve met before, but not while she’s been in human form.” Alec mused, giving Maia a friendly wave as they approached the bar. 

“A Lightwood in my bar? Again?” Maia’s face wasn’t hostile, but teasing, and Alec relaxed. “How’s Izzy?” 

“She’s fine.” Alec answered, “it’s nice to finally meet you, Maia.” 

He put her hand out for him to shake and she took it, looking him over. He felt exposed, and glanced at Magnus out of the corner of his eye. Magnus was looking between the two of them with amusement. Eventually, Maia hummed in approval, and let his hand go. 

“I had no idea that shadowhunters were allowed to transition.” She said, and Alec’s eyes widened. “Relax, Alec. I’m part of the club too.”

Alec raised his eyebrow. “You are?” 

“Damn, Magnus, looks like those potions of yours are doing the trick.” Maia snorted, and Magnus shrugged.

“I’ve spent a hundred years perfecting it.” 

“No, I just meant… I’ve never met another trans person in the shadow world.” He clambered onto a bar stool. “I guess I assumed I was the only one.” 

“Nah, there’s a bunch of us. Well… A few. We go to pride together, you should come too, next summer.” 

“I’d like that, yeah,” Alec felt like he could burst. He’d never had trans friends before. Honestly, before all this business with Clary, his only real friends had been Izzy and Cat, and Cat shouldn’t have really counted because she was his nurse. 

Maia smiled at him, and then turned her attention to Magnus. “Vodka martini?” 

“Yes, please. Can we hire the pool table for a couple of hours, as well?” 

“Sure, it’s a $10 deposit for the stuff and $10 to play,” she grabbed the cues and balls from behind her and put them on the bar. 

Alec’s eyebrow quirked when Magnus handed her a $100 bill. He shrugged.

“I don’t have anything smaller in my wallet.” 

“You always clean me out of change,” Maia grumbled, though she gave him a wink. 

“I’ll go and set up the table,” Alec volunteered, and walked off with the cues and balls.

“What the fuck are you doing dating a shadowhunter?” Maia asked Magnus the moment Alec was out of earshot. “What happened to ‘I could never sleep with a shadowhunter, I couldn’t cope with the cries to the angel.’” Her impression of his voice was almost perfect and, quite frankly, a little insulting. 

“Well,” Magnus could feel himself blushing. When was the last time he blushed? “I don’t think Alec cares for the angel very much, and… You slept with his sister for months!”

“Yes, but I have no morals when it comes to pretty girls and you know it.” Maia pointed out, which made Magnus laugh. “I’m not judging, it just seems like a very sudden change of heart.”

Magnus shrugged one shoulder. “I didn’t plan for Alec to happen. He just… Did.” 

“See, that… Is gross. But also cute. Don’t let him hurt you, or I’m gonna have to hurt him, and the Clave is already mad at us for kicking Izzy’s ass.” 

“About that… I presume you’ve reached out to apologise for the misunderstanding?” Magnus asked, watching her mix his martini. 

“Yes, of course I did. We’re going out to lunch sometime, with Clary too. I feel bad enough about it for the both of us, you don’t need to scold me.” Maia assured him, her eyes on the martini glass. 

Magnus hummed. “I know it’s hard for you to admit you’re wrong, so I’m sure she was happy to hear from you.”

“I hope so.” Maia shrugged, “she’s a sweet girl. I kinda regret letting her go, you know? But… She’s a shadowhunter, so it couldn’t have worked anyway.” 

“I don’t know… Look at me. Dating her brother. Nothing’s impossible, and Izzy has a good heart.” Magnus reminded her, nodding in thanks for the martini. “Though I’m not sure why I’m trying to convince you. Izzy seems to be pretty smitten with Clary.” 

“Yeah, that’s the other thing,” Maia snorted, wiping her hands on her pants, “I can’t compete with that girl. She’s a badass, you should’ve seen her tell the Head of the Institute to fuck off. It was amazing. I should hate her, but… Damn, you know what, I like her spunk.” 

“Me too,” Magnus admitted, sipping his martini and humming loudly at the taste. “Oh, you’ve done it again. I swear you must have a little magic in you somewhere.” 

Maia winked at him, and flipped a rag over her shoulder. “What’s Alec having?” 

“Oh, I should have asked him that, shouldn’t I?” Magnus winced, looking over his shoulder to see Alec studiously setting up the balls on the table. “What do you recommend?”

“There’s a beer that most of the guys seem to like,” Maia shrugged. 

“Yeah, I’m… I think he likes beer. He doesn’t like liquor much, so… Yeah, I’ll take a beer, please. That’ll say that I think he’s totally masculine, and that-”

“Oh my God,” Maia shook her head, rolling her eyes slightly. “It’s not that deep, Magnus. I promise you Alec isn’t gendering his alcohol.” 

“Right,” Magnus grimaced, “sorry.” 

Maia patted his hand as she handed over the pint glass. “You’re doing great.” She’d never seen him on a date with anybody; he usually was only ever in here talking with his friends about one-time conquests and the pointlessness of love for immortals. It was nice to see him a little nervous about somebody. 

He gave her a small smile and carried the drinks over to Alec, who was checking his phone. “Don’t tell me you’ve been called in.” Magnus sighed.

“No,” Alec assured him, tucking his phone back into his jeans. “Just reading twitter.” 

“You have a twitter?” Magnus asked, giving Alec the pint of beer.

“Uhh…” 

“I promise I won’t go looking,” Magnus assured him. Alec’s shoulders relaxed. “I forgot to ask what you wanted, so I got beer. I hope that’s okay?” 

Alec took a sip, and forced a smile. It tasted like piss. “It’s great.” 

Magnus wasn’t sure if he was telling the truth, but he took another big gulp, so he figured it couldn’t be all that bad. “Who’s breaking?” 

“Flip a coin?” 

Magnus patted down his pockets with a shrug, and Alec rolled his eyes. He dug in his back pocket and fished out a quarter, balancing it on his thumb. “Heads.” 

The coin sailed into the air and landed on the table, heads down. “Yes,” Alec hissed, grabbing a cue and walking around to the other side of the table, depositing his beer on the side as he went. “Looks like luck is on my side tonight, Magnus.” 

“Before you break,” Magnus hummed, catching the chalked end of Alec’s cue as it neared the white ball, “what’s our wager?” 

Alec smirked. “I win and you have to magic a perm on your head.” 

“You have a sadistic streak, then. How interesting.” Magnus purred, and Alec blushed. “Alright, if you win, I get a perm for 12 hours. If I win, you have to text Raj saying you have a crush on him.” 

Alec’s mouth fell open. “And I’m sadistic?!” 

Magnus laughed, taking up the second cue. “There’s the terms, take them or leave them.” 

“Aren’t you supposed to be nice to each other on first dates?” Alec demanded. “How about…” He licked his lips, steeling himself. “Whoever loses has to sleep naked next time we sleep together? Whether that’s tonight or whenever.” 

Magnus’ eyebrow quirked. “Alright, talk about a win-win situation. You’re on.” 

Alec grinned, and bent at the waist to break. Two balls skidded into two pockets, and Alec hummed with satisfaction as he walked around the table to take his second shot. 

“You didn’t mention that you were good at pool,” Magnus said accusingly, “I thought fun was banned in Alicante.” 

“I spent my late teens and early twenties here in New York, with Izzy. I’ve snuck out to more bars than I can count to keep an eye on her.” 

“Hmmm…” Magnus purposefully missed his first shot, tutting at himself. 

“It’s all about the aim,” Alec shrugged, “like archery.” 

Magnus leaned on his cue, watching Alec throw his shot on purpose, making a show of sighing. He’d left the perfect opportunity for Magnus, and he bit back a smile at the patronising look on Alec’s face. “Who knew there were so many similarities?” 

Alec nodded, turning to have a gulp of his beer, and it still tasted bad. He wrinkled his nose, and spun around when he heard balls clunking around. Three balls were gone from the table, and Magnus was straightening up with a smirk. “You…”

“Haven’t you ever heard the saying, Alexander?” Magnus tilted his head to the side as he lined up his next shot, closing one eye. “If you can’t see the one getting hustled in the pool hall,” he took his shot, sending two more balls slipping into their pockets, “then it’s probably you.” 

Alec’s mouth was agape. He snapped it shut, and shook his head, a grin growing on his face. “Alright, alright, it’s like that?”

“Oh, it’s like that.” Magnus purred, taking a sip of his martini. 

Alec took off his jacket, and tossed it on a nearby chair. “Alright, okay, let’s play.” 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Izzy didn’t expect Clary to show up in her room that night, but she wasn’t about to complain about it. She appeared fairly early, already in her cute baby blue pyjamas, her pillow tucked under her arm.

“I’m sorry that I snapped at you earlier.” Clary said, her eyes on Izzy’s shoulder. “I didn’t mean to take it out on you.” 

“I know.” Izzy told her, stepping aside so Clary could come in. “I’m not mad.” 

Clary walked over to the bed as Izzy shut the door, immediately getting under the covers. “Are you busy?”

“No, I was just reading.” Izzy answered, bringing her book from her desk to the bed. 

“What are you reading?” 

“Meliorn gave me this book on rogue shadowhunters ages ago, and I found it when I was clearing up earlier. I haven’t really got much to do, while Aldertree’s trying to figure out if I’m allowed out on the field.” Izzy explained, sitting next to Clary and opening the book on her lap, one hand finding its way to Clary’s hair. 

Clary hummed. “Why are the Seelies writing about Shadowhunters?” 

“Because usually when a shadowhunter defects from the Clave because they are pro-downworlder, they seek asylum with the Seelie Queen. So they keep records of the work they do. It seems like the Seelie Queen is fond of ex-Clave shadowhunters. Most of them end up serving in the Court, by the looks of it.” 

“So… You’re thinking about defecting?” Clary guessed, sitting up a little. 

“Not thinking of, exactly. Just… Wondering. If I could.” She said quietly, tracing her fingers over Clary’s hair. “I’ve been brought up to serve the Clave, but after all that’s happened, I’m doubting everything. I thought that there was some justice, some want to protect downworlders, deep down, but… It’s all a lie. The Clave don’t care about anything except keeping a lid on downworlders and maintaining their own power. And now I’ve seen that, I don’t know if I can go back to the way everything was before.”

Clary nodded, stroking Izzy’s arm. “That makes sense.” 

Izzy pressed her lips to Clary’s temple, and Clary snuggled into her side. “I’m sorry, you probably… I shouldn’t be talking about my problems right now, do you wanna talk?”

“No,” Clary closed her eyes. “Honestly I’d rather talk about your problems than mine, right now. I just want to forget about my Mom for a while.” 

Izzy hummed, rubbing Clary’s arm. “You wanna hear about a badass shadowhunter lesbian who became the lover of the last Seelie Queen after defecting? She’s, like, total goals.” 

Clary chuckled, her heart warming for the first time in days. “Always.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Alec lost, naturally. 

He didn’t look too pissed off about it, though, which made Magnus wonder if he’d thrown the game just so he could have a reason to take his clothes off when they got home. Either way, Magnus was smug about winning after Alec’s pretentious strutting earlier on. They went back to the bar to order another round of drinks, and Magnus felt a little bad when Alec insisted on getting a martini, but he had drunk the entire pint of beer, so it couldn’t have been that bad. 

“I’m glad to see you’re not a sore loser.” Magnus nudged him as Maia put their drinks down in front of them before rushing off to serve somebody else. “There’s nothing worse than having an invigorating victory and then having it stepped on by a bitter adversary.” 

“I got my ass beat by Izzy at just about everything growing up, except archery. I grew out of being a sore loser years ago.” Alec smiled, shaking his head. “Izzy, on the other hand…”

“Oh, I can imagine.” Magnus laughed. “I’m afraid I’m not used to losing. I can’t really remember if I’m a bitter loser.” 

Alec snorted. “Well, you are like, God-tier level of pool player. Could’ve mentioned that before.” 

“There are some things you don’t talk about on a first date. Exes, your inability to lose, that kind of thing…” 

Alec smirked, looking at Magnus out of the corner of his eye. “Well, you broke the second rule.” He sipped his martini. “So I think you may as well break the first one, too.” 

Magnus arched his eyebrow. “I already told you about Camille.” 

“True,” Alec allowed, “but I’m curious. You talk like you’ve experienced everything. Is it hot air, or are you…?”

“A slut?” Magnus guessed, clearing his throat.

“What? No!” Alec insisted, his hand grasping Magnus’ arm. “No, that’s not what I meant. I… Ugh.” He tipped his head back. “I just mean… I’m curious. And a little intimidated. I’m not judging, I promise.”

Magnus looked at Alec for a moment, assessing whether or not he was telling the truth. Alec’s eyes were earnest, so Magnus sniffed, and sipped his martini. “I don’t keep an exact count.”

Alec smiled a little, resting his chin on his hand and wiggling his eyebrows. Magnus huffed and elbowed Alec in the ribs. 

“Alright, it’s, uh… Seventeen…”

Seventeen?” Alec repeated, narrowing his eyes. “That’s nothing.” 

Magnus grimaced.

“Oh…” Alec nodded, “seventeen hundred. That’s… I mean, it’s not…” 

Magnus pressed his fingers to his mouth, narrowing his eyes.

“Th-thousand?” Alec’s eyes went wide. He tried to do the math in his head. Wow. “That is… Impressive.” 

“It’s all in the past.” Magnus assured him, patting his hand. 

“No, no, I know!” Alec gulped, “it’s just… Wow. That’s, um… A lot of competition.” 

Magnus smiled a little. “You don’t have to be the best I’ve ever had for me to care about you, Alexander.” 

Alec frowned at him. “That’s rubbish, of course I have to be the best. I gotta… I gotta do some serious research.” 

That made Magnus laugh, and he clung onto Alec’s arm. “Angel, you’re skipping about six steps ahead, as always.” 

“Right, yeah, sorry.” Alec shook his head to clear it, and sucked his lower lip into his mouth. “How many of those 17,000 were trans men?” 

Magnus thought about it for a moment. “A dozen, maybe twenty. That I know of, anyway.”

“Oh, good,” Alec scratched his cheek. “So you know…”

Magnus looked at Alec with a quizzical look. 

“You know… What everything… How it all… Works.” 

Magnus bit his lip to keep his smile at bay. “Alexander, I mean this in the nicest possible way, darling, but if I didn’t know any better I’d say you were desperate to sleep with me.” 

“Wow, what gave it away?” Alec muttered sarcastically, and Magnus pressed his cheek to Alec’s shoulder. 

“We’ll get there. Stop rushing it, it’s okay. We’ll get there.” Magnus murmured, his hand rubbing Alec’s thigh soothingly.

Alec nodded, running his hand through his hair. “I know, I know, I’m sorry. I’ve just… Been wanting this for such a long time, and now I have half an opportunity to have it, I just… Honestly, I don’t want to freak you out or anything but I’m planning our wedding in my head like, right now.” 

“Alec,” Magnus laughed, curling his hand round the back of Alec’s neck to bring their foreheads together. “You’re adorable. But breathe. We’ve got all the time in the world.” 

“I know, but… You’re so wonderful.” 

Magnus smiled, their faces separating. “First love is a powerful thing. It’s cute. But putting pressure on yourself to do all these things is just going to make everything stressful. Let’s just…” He picked up his martini, and held it towards Alec’s glass, “see what happens?” 

Alec tapped his glass to Magnus’, and nodded. “Yeah. I’m sorry, I’ll try and cool it.” 

“Don’t be sorry,” Magnus tutted, his thumb dancing across Alec’s cheek. “There’s nothing to be sorry for. I can feel you wound so tightly that you’re about to snap, that’s all. This is supposed to be fun. It doesn’t have to be serious and formal. We’re just having fun, hmm?” 

“Right.” Alec nodded. He knew that a huge part of this was the fact that shadowhunters were encouraged to fall in love and get married quickly; they were at constant war, and in wartime you married as quickly as possible, just in case your love died. He told himself that this wasn’t like that. He and Magnus didn’t have the time pressure; they didn’t have the expectations. It was just… Love. That’s all. No duty, no child-bearing pressure, no family honour to worry about. Just the two of them and their feelings, that was all that mattered. 

It was definitely too soon to say I love you, Alec told himself, relieved he hadn’t just blurted it out at the restaurant. There was a step that he knew he could take, though, and he was so excited to take it that he was sure he was sweating a bit.

“Hey, uh… Magnus?” 

“What?” Magnus asked, setting his glass down on the bar. 

Alec smiled, chewing the inside of his cheek. “Will you be my boyfriend?” 

Magnus did one of those rare smiles that was so big that his eyes scrunched up and he showed his teeth. Alec had only seen it a handful of times, and it never failed to make his heart fuck up in his chest. “Yes, Alexander, I’ll be your boyfriend.” 

“Great,” he breathed, bouncing his leg excitedly. 

Magnus laughed, cupping Alec’s cheek and guiding their mouths together. 

They agreed, once they’d finished their drinks, that it was time to portal back to the loft. Alec felt sort of emotionally tired, between his intense shitty feelings the night before and the immense euphoria he was having now. He figured Magnus was feeling pretty much the same way, because it took a little longer than usual for Magnus to cast the portal. 

“We could’ve gotten a cab if you were tired,” Alec reminded him, letting Magnus pull him through the portal into his living room.

Magnus smiled, shrugging one shoulder. “I just wanted to be home.”

“Are you still okay with me staying over? I can go…” 

“No, I want you to stay. If that’s what you want.” Magnus answered, magicking his jacket to his closet. 

Alec hummed, wrapping his arms around Magnus’ waist. “I do recall that we had a wager.” 

Magnus rolled his eyes. “If you want to show me your butt, you can just say it.” 

Alec smirked, “I wanna show you my butt.” 

“That’s what I thought.” Magnus raked his fingers through Alec’s hair. “The question is, are you going to get to see my butt?” 

“That is the question of the hour.” Alec mused, shrugging one shoulder. “I don’t care either way.” 

“No?” 

“Of course not. I mean… It’ll be dark anyway. It’s not like I’m doing a strip tease. We’re just gonna sleep, right?” Alec pointed out, and Magnus tutted, snapping his fingers.

“Damn, better cancel that pole I ordered.” He sighed, mirth glinting in his eyes. 

“Shut up,” Alec scoffed, pulling away from him. “Let’s go to bed.” He pulled away from Magnus and headed to the bedroom, unbuttoning his shirt as he went. Magnus followed, though he didn’t linger in the bedroom as Alec undressed, instead going to wash off his make-up and do his skincare routine in the en-suite. He could see Alec moving around in his periphery, and snuck a glance as Alec peeled his binder up over his head, swallowing hard. Alec caught him looking, and smirked. 

“Sorry,” Magnus mumbled, fixing his eyes back on the mirror. Alec wandered over in his boxers, wrapping his arms around Magnus’ shoulders, his fingers running down under the neckline of Magnus’ shirt. 

“You don’t have to apologise for liking what you see. It makes me feel… Desirable. And I didn’t feel too much of that before you came into my life.” He kissed Magnus’ temple, and moved away again, and this time Magnus watched him go, licking his lips as Alec slipped his boxers down over his hips and got under the covers. 

He did the short version of his skincare routine, and magicked his clothes off, leaving his briefs in place. Alec moved over on the bed and lifted the blanket, calm and self-assured as anything. It was unexpected; Magnus had expected Alec to be a little more self-conscious, though he couldn’t deny that the confidence was attractive as hell. It was so different from that first time Alec had spent the night on the couch, and had run to the bathroom to get his binder on.

It was amazing, feeling bare skin on his when they cuddled. He smoothed his hand down Alec’s back, running his fingers over the raised lines of his runes. Alec hummed, his eyes closing. 

“Nice?” Magnus asked, and Alec smiled. 

“Yeah, it is.” He opened his eyes, his hand tentatively resting on Magnus’ stomach. “I, uh… I didn’t think anybody would ever… Want this. With me.” 

“I want nothing more,” Magnus said softly. 

Alec shifted to kiss him gently, his thumb slipping across Magnus’ bare skin. For the millionth time, he bit back three little words. Instead, he whispered, “goodnight,” and snuggled into the crook of his neck.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Clary felt a little better after her night wrapped up in Izzy’s arms, but curiosity was still gnawing at her, and she figured that it couldn’t hurt to hear from a different warlock. It wasn’t like she was definitely going to go through with any ritual, but it made sense to explore all the options, didn’t it? She owed it to her Mom. 

There was a part of her that couldn’t help but think that if she’d just agreed to move to Alicante with Jocelyn in the first place, then they could’ve left and she’d still be alive. She had to make sure that she’d done everything she could.

Izzy had been called to Aldertree’s office at the crack of dawn, so Clary had snuck away, intent on doing a bit of research. The ops centre was quiet; the night shift was just ending and the day shift just beginning, so no-one paid attention to Clary as she made her way to an empty station and logged into the Clave database. There were a surprising amount of ‘class one’ warlocks in New York; besides Magnus, there were five. The most unassuming, non-threatening one seemed to be called Iris Rouse, and Clary brought up her file. She worked as a private doctor in the Bronx. She’d had a couple of warnings for suspected dark magic, but no imprisonments. Clary wrote Iris’ address down on the back of her hand and logged out of the computer, grabbing a small seraph dagger on her way out. 

She decided to take the subway rather than walk; after the last time she wandered out of the Institute she’d learned her lesson. No-one knew where Valentine was or what he was planning to do with the Soul Sword now. For all she knew, he could be waiting to snatch her again. It struck her, as she sat down on the train, that Valentine was now her only surviving blood family member. She’d always have Luke, she knew that. But the last living person who shared her blood was the most evil she’d ever met. 

She missed the days when her biggest worry in life was the sexual orientation of the girl who told her that her art style was beautiful in her still life class. 

Iris’ place was huge, and old-fashioned. Red brick, with a gold plaque outside declaring her office hours and the clinic’s phone number. There was an ornate door-knocker shaped like a snake, and Clary jumped out of her skin when she used it and it echoed loudly in the rooms inside, clearly amplified by magic. She wondered what mundanes made of that.

Clary didn’t recognise the woman who opened the door, just a little at first. Upon seeing Clary’s pensive expression, she opened the door wider, revealing that she was heavily pregnant. She put her hands protectively under her bump as she looked Clary up and down. “What do you want?” 

“I’m here for Iris Rouse?” Clary asked, tucking her hands into her back pockets.

Iris appeared behind the pregnant woman with a curious look in her eyes, and murmured some quiet assurances, taking her place at the door. “I don’t often get shadowhunters at my door. Let me guess, you need me to brew you a love potion to make some heroic boy fall in love with you?” 

Clary’s eyes dropped to the ground. “Actually, my Mom died.” 

“Oh. I am very sorry. Come in, come in.” Iris stepped aside, and Clary walked past her, looking around at the wood-panelled hallway. It was eerily silent, and every door was shut. Clary wondered if Iris had any patients in today, and whether the pregnant woman was a patient or a friend. Why was she answering the door if she was a patient? “What’s your name?”

“Clary Fray,” she answered, dragging her eyes back to Iris. “My mother is Jocelyn Fairchild. I’m friendly with Magnus Bane, and he said that he wouldn’t bring her back, but he didn’t say that it wasn’t possible. I was just wondering…”

“Oh, it’s certainly possible, my dear.” Iris told her, clasping her hands together in front of her. “Some warlocks, like our… Restrained… High Warlock, they fear the extent of their abilities. The Clave has spent so much time and effort telling us that our powers were demonic, to be feared, that unfortunately some warlocks believe them. It’s a shame. But I can bring your mother back, Clary.” 

Despite the fact that she’d known that this would be Iris’ answer, Clary still felt tears of relief spring to her eyes, and swallowed them down. “What would you want in return?” 

“Well, usually my prices are pretty steep, but then, I don’t often do work for shadowhunters. How about you just owe me a favour, hmm?” 

“A favour?” Clary repeated, her eyebrows furrowing. “What kind of favour?”

Iris smiled placidly. “Well, I won’t know until I need it. Sometimes I have use of a shadowhunter, and you’re a shadowhunter. Are those terms alright with- Madzie!” She was looking past Clary, a stern expression on her face. Clary turned to see a small girl peeking around the bannister, curiosity shining in her eyes. “Go back to your room, you know you aren’t meant to come downstairs when Nana has guests.” 

The little girl, Madzie, scurried back upstairs, and Clary watched her go for a moment before turning back to Iris. 

“What kind of clinic is this?” 

“Mostly a maternal clinic,” Iris explained, “Madzie was abandoned as a baby by her father, so I took her in.”

Clary nodded, considering Iris’ offer. “Can I have a couple of days to think about it?”

“Of course, of course. If you decide to go through with the ritual, simply bring a lock of your mother’s hair to me. I will do the rest.” 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Miss Lightwood, please come in. I think we’re just about due a chat.” Aldertree put his hand out towards the couch in front of his desk, and Izzy stiffly walked over and sat down, her back ramrod straight. What fresh hell did Aldertree have for her today?

“Have I broken a Clave law in the 48 hours I’ve been back from the City of Bones?” She asked, and Aldertree leaned back in his chair, his lips pursed. 

“You have proven that you are not allied with Valentine. I am convinced of that. But what I am not convinced of is your priorities to protecting our society.” Aldertree explained. 

Izzy intertwined her fingers and settled her hands on her lap. “I have views about the way our society works. Those views are not about to change.” 

“Be that as it may, you prioritised saving my life over protecting the Soul Sword. That was a lapse in judgement not just in terms of stopping Valentine but in your own values, as well.” Aldertree tilted his head to the side. “The Soul Sword is one of the three Mortal Instruments given to our kind by the angel. Its power is unknown. In Valentine’s hands, do you have any idea of the destruction he could do to the downworld?” 

“The Soul Sword just makes people tell the truth, doesn’t it?” Izzy asked, her eyebrows furrowing. “What’s he going to do, force all the downworlders to tell him they hate him?” 

Aldertree sighed. “There is a question as to whether the Soul Sword has more than one function. For example, shortly after touching it, you were able to repel a very powerful demon, were you not? We don’t know the extent of the Sword’s power, and we suspect that Valentine knows something that we do not.” 

“So… Why are you telling me this?” Izzy continued. 

Aldertree raised his chin. “It is my opinion that you should not be allowed to work in the field, having heard your assertions that you will not follow orders you deem unsavoury. However, I also know that you are in a unique position.”

“What kind of unique position?” 

“Clary Fairchild is another unknown that I cannot afford to have running around my Institute. I need to know what she’s up to. It’s true that she’s been quiet since her mother’s death, but I fear that with nothing left to lose, she will do something that will make all of us here at the New York Institute look foolish.” Aldertree muttered. Izzy pursed her lips, putting two and two together.

“So you want me to spy on Clary for you,” she shook her head. “You have to know that isn’t going to happen, Aldertree.”

“If you do not then I will be forced to imprison Clary until such time that she can be questioned with the Soul Sword. And you will be barred from field duty forever.” 

Izzy couldn’t help but laugh. 

“If you think I am joking or making empty threats-”

“No, I know you’re not,” Izzy assured him, shaking her head. “I just can’t believe that I thought that this would ever be over. You are going to make my life and Clary’s utterly miserable until the day you leave or die, aren’t you? There is nothing that we can do that will make you stop hating us.” She got to her feet, looking down her nose at him. “I will not assist you in criminalising my girlfriend. Do what you want with me.” 

Aldertree lifted his hand to caress his own lips with his fingertips. “Let us build trust in one another, Isabelle. I understand that we got off on the wrong foot but all I am asking is that you tell me if Clary plans to go off the reservation. I am not suggesting that you tell me everything she says to you, but I would like to prevent another incident like the one where you ended up imprisoned by Valentine for weeks. We can at least agree on that, can’t we?” 

“So all I have to do is warn you if Clary tries to move against Valentine?” 

“Yes.” Aldertree confirmed. Izzy considered it. “We have to send a team to the Iron Sisters to ask them if the Soul Sword has any secondary powers, as we suspect. I would like to send you and Clary. Perhaps some time away from the Institute will do the two of you some good, get your perspectives aligned.” 

Izzy narrowed her eyes. “You’ve read my file, you know that I applied to be an Iron Sister.” 

“That I do,” Aldertree smiled, “consider this assignment a peace offering. I intend to keep control of this Institute for the rest of my life, Isabelle, and my life and yours would be easier if the two of us could come to some kind of truce.” 

“So we can do all the work and you take all the credit? No thank you.” 

“The two of you will be free to have your… Dalliances… If neither of you are in a position of power. If you and Alec allow me to control this Institute, then the two of you will be free to do whatever it is that you want. Alec has already rejected a Clave-sanctioned wife; do you really think that he will ever be permitted to hold a position of power here?” Aldertree pointed out.

Izzy could see the sense in that. “I will go to the Iron Sisters and I will make sure Clary doesn’t try to take matters into her own hands. All plans will go through you.” She promised, and he smiled, holding out his hands and then clasping them together.

“Everybody wins.” He nodded, and Izzy hated to admit it, but he was right. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Over the next couple of days, Clary thought about Iris’ proposal. She so badly wanted to tell Izzy about it, but she knew that Izzy would just reject the idea outright because of her fear of dark magic. Again and again, Clary thought about what Iris had said. Some warlocks had started believing the Clave’s bullshit about their own natures. She had to admit, it made sense. But Magnus wasn’t exactly a fan of the Clave, and he shied away from bringing people back. 

She wished she could ask a neutral party. The subject of bringing people back from the dead was a sore subject with Simon, and she couldn’t give Luke hope just to tear it away if it didn’t work out. 

She wished Alec were here.

Since her mother’s death, and their mission to kill the demon that did it, Clary hadn’t seen nor heard from him. He’d been back to the Institute, Clary knew that, because his washing was done and there was no paperwork on his desk, but he hadn’t checked in at all. She’d thought about texting him, but she didn’t know what to say. Alec was the kind of guy who took things to heart, she knew that. Jocelyn’s death, and his unwitting role in it, was probably eating him up inside. It was eating her up inside, too, but she was too much of a coward to reach out. She could barely keep herself together; she couldn’t be Alec’s emotional crutch too.

Alec walked into the kitchen, saw Clary, and went to turn around, but Clary caught his eye, and he froze. 

“Hey,” she smiled, hoping she didn’t look as tired as she felt. “Where’ve you been? Haven’t seen you in days.” 

Alec swallowed hard, and looked at his feet. “I’ve, uh, been… Y’know… Magnus’. Patrol. Around, you know.” 

Clary nodded, chewing the inside of her cheek. “Can I ask you something?” 

“Sure,” he sat down opposite her, still not quite looking at her. “What’s up?” 

“Have you ever heard of anybody being brought back from the dead? Like, not a vampire. Just a person, brought back with magic?” 

Alec shook his head. “No, I haven’t. I don’t think it’s possible…”

“It is, I asked a warlock in the Bronx.” Clary explained, and Alec lifted his eyes to meet hers. “A warlock called Iris Rouse.” 

“But…. Magnus…?” 

“He doesn’t like messing with death. But this other warlock seemed really confident that she could do it. And I was just wondering if you thought it was a good idea.” She fiddled with a dent in the surface of the table, picking at it with her thumb nail as Alec’s eyebrows furrowed.

“She could bring your Mom back from the dead?” He repeated, and she nodded. Leaning back in his chair, he considered it. “What do you have to do?”

Clary shrugged one shoulder. “She said I’d owe her a favour. All I need to bring is a lock of my Mom’s hair.” 

“A favour…” 

“Do you think it’s a bad idea?” 

“No… I think… If you had back-up, it could…” He dug his teeth into his lower lip. “Clary, I’ll do anything I can to help bring your mother back.” 

Clary sighed in relief, and reached across the table to squeeze his hands. “You’re a good friend, Alec. Thank you.” 

He found he couldn’t meet her eyes, and he said nothing, his gaze fixed on their hands as he willed his vision not to blur. “You are, too.” He told her, and she gave his fingers one last squeeze before getting up to go. 

“I’ll go and cut some hair from my Mom and then we’ll head out, yeah?” She asked, and he nodded, waiting until the door swung shut behind her to sniff. 

The last few days, being with Magnus, throwing himself into work, he hadn’t felt too bad. But now, seeing Clary, the guilt came rushing back, and despite the fact that he was wearing a sports bra he felt like his ribs were being crushed. He’d do anything he could to undo what he’d been made to do. All that mattered was making it right. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“How’s Alec?” Raj asked, ducking under Izzy’s fist and side-stepping around her. 

Izzy sighed, taking half a step back to stretch out her elbows as she and Raj circled each other. “I don’t know. He’s ignoring my texts. Magnus said he was working on it. I don’t think he’s even been back to the Institute since I saw him on the roof a few nights ago.” 

Raj frowned. “I saw him like ten minutes ago, with Clary.”

“With Clary?” 

Raj shrugged. “He said they were going on a mission.” 

“But… Clary’s on leave for another week.” Izzy said slowly, meeting Raj’s eyes as they realised what Alec and Clary were up to. 

“You don’t think…”

Izzy jogged over to the computer panel, abandoning the sparring ring completely. She logged into Clary’s user and checked search history, her hand coming up to her mouth as she saw that her girlfriend had been researching dark warlocks. 

“Iris Rouse? C’mon, they wouldn’t be that…” Raj chuckled nervously, and gave Izzy a foreboding look.

“We have to go after them.” Izzy told him, and he nodded, both of them grabbing their weapons on the way out.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Clary, you took longer than I expected.” Iris observed when she opened the door later that day. She glanced at Alec. “Your boyfriend, I assume?” 

Alec and Clary looked at each other, their noses wrinkling. “No!” They insisted in unison.

“Do I look…” Alec whispered, and Clary elbowed him in the ribs.

“He’s my girlfriend’s brother.” Clary told her as Iris led them inside. 

“I see. Well, I’m afraid whoever you are you’ll have to leave your weapons in the cloakroom. I don’t allow them in this house of healing.” 

Alec narrowed his eyes a little, unglamouring his bow and quiver. Iris opened the door to the cloakroom and Alec placed them inside. “Can I at least see some credentials? I’ve never heard of you.” 

Iris laughed, locking the cloakroom with a spell. “It’s very rude to ask a warlock to see their mark, shadowhunter.” 

“I’m sure that Iris knows what she’s doing, she was listed as a category one warlock in the Clave files, Alec.” Clary reminded him, and he sighed.

“Fine. Where will the ritual be done?”

“Oh, I’m afraid I can’t let you into the room. Your energy is utterly chaotic, and that’s dangerous for a procedure this complex.” 

“So I’m supposed to just allow you to take Clary into a room and, what? Do some complicated ritual neither of us are familiar with, and that’s meant to be fine with me?” Alec asked evenly.

Iris folded her arms. “Would you have these same hang-ups if a shadowhunter was helping you? Free of charge, I might add.” 

Alec scoffed. “Yes, actually, I would.” 

“That’s some unhealthy paranoia you’re clinging onto there, my dear.” 

Alec smirked, a challenge. “I’d rather be paranoid than dead.” 

“Alec, please.” Clary put her hand on his arm. “I want to do this. I’ll be fine, I promise.” 

He looked into her face for a long moment, checking her resolve, and sighed. “Fine. Fine. But…” He glanced at Iris, and leaned in to whisper in her ear, “I’ll activate my hearing rune, if you need help just say quiver. I’ll come get you.” 

Clary nodded, smiling reassuringly as he sat down on the bench in the hallway. She turned to Iris, who started to lead her up the stairs. The silence in the house was still eerie, and she looked back at Alec, who looked nervous. That put a healthy dose of suspicion in her, and she steeled herself, resolving to stay ready just in case this went south. 

When the door upstairs closed behind Iris and Clary, Alec blew out his cheeks, activating his hearing rune. He didn’t like this at all. He stood, and spotted movement in the doorway down the hall. Tilting his head to the side, he walked towards the open door. 

“Hello?” He called, and let out a breath of relief when a little girl appeared, poking her head around the corner. She didn’t say anything, but she walked towards him, a stuffed toy rabbit tucked under her arm. “Hi, what’s your name?” He slowly lowered into a crouch so he was eye to eye with the child.

She didn’t answer for a long moment, studying the rune on his neck. Eventually, she pressed her mouth into the toy, revealing gills in the side of her neck. “Madzie.” 

“Hey, cool gills, Madzie.” Alec told her. “I’m Alec.” 

Madzie didn’t say anything else. She just looked at him, as if she’d never seen a shadowhunter close up before. Alec thought that wasn’t impossible.

“You don’t talk much, huh?” 

She shook her head. 

“That’s okay. I didn’t like talking when I was a kid, either.” He glanced around, noting that all the doors in the hallway were closed tightly except the one Madzie had come through. “Where’s your Mom?”

Madzie shrugged, and Alec frowned. She took his hand and pulled him through the door, into a nursery. In the corner sat a heavily pregnant woman nursing a newborn, and she jumped out of her skin when she looked up and saw him, her arms tightening around the baby.

“Hey, it’s okay, I’m not gonna hurt you.” Alec assured her, his eyebrows furrowed. “I’m just visiting.”

“Iris doesn’t have men here.” 

Alec cleared his throat. “I’m here with a friend.” 

“Oh,” she said, rocking the baby as it started to fuss. “I see.”

“Are they yours? They’re beautiful,” Alec smiled, pointing at the baby. 

The woman looked down at the child in her arms, and frowned. “I’m not sure. I don’t remember, it’s fuzzy.” 

“Fuzzy?” 

“We all look after the babies together. It’s hard to keep track… Iris doesn’t think it’s good to remember the births, it’s-”

“She wipes your memories?!” Alec fought to keep his voice low so as not to scare Madzie and the baby, but his mind started racing. He looked down at the baby again, and noticed that it had long, pointy nails. Claws. A warlock baby? “Who’s the father of your baby?” He asked, nausea churning in his stomach. 

The woman’s face scrunched, like she was trying to remember. “I… I’m not sure.” 

Alec crouched down next to her, his face concerned. “How long have you been here?”

“I don’t know.”

Madzie tugged on Alec’s shirt. “Clary’s gonna have a baby too.” 

It didn’t sound like a question, her eyes too serious for someone her age. Alec sprung to his feet and ran out of the room, skidding to a halt outside the cloakroom.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Iris and Clary shared a pot of tea before the ritual, to ‘cleanse any nerves’. Clary didn’t feel like the tea was helping her nerves at all; the longer she sat on the couch opposite Iris, the more uneasy she felt. Alec had shaken her. The fact that he didn’t trust Iris and seemed to think that this was a dodgy deal had left Clary doubting everything. 

“Are you ready to get on with it, my dear?” Iris asked, and Clary nodded, putting the teacup down on the table. “Do you have the lock of hair I asked for?”

“Yeah, I got it here.” Clary answered, holding it between her fingers.

“Excellent, put it down on the table.” Iris got to her feet, and closed her eyes. “Now, Clary, I want you to focus all your attention on your mother. Think of her happy and healthy. Concentrate on what her voice sounded like.” 

Clary closed her eyes, unable to relax her face. She could feel that she was grimacing, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that this was a bad idea. Why hadn’t she listened to Izzy?

Iris began to mutter in a language that Clary didn’t understand, and the hairs on Clary’s arms stood on end at the palpable feeling of cold magic swirling around the room. Magnus’ magic was always warm, comforting. 

Her eyes snapped open, and she looked up at Iris, who had a little smirk on her face. Clary opened her mouth to stop the whole thing when Iris’ face tensed, her eyes flying open. 

“Someone is messing with my wards,” she snarled, her eyes narrowing as she looked at the door. “Your friend is attempting to retrieve his weapon.” 

Clary’s heart leapt into her throat, and she stood up. “I think we need to call this off,” she said. “I should do some more research, get a second opinion…”

Iris didn’t look surprised. “If you don’t want your mother back, that’s no concern of mine. But I am going to need to call in that favour sooner than I would have hoped.”

“But you didn’t bring my mother back.” 

Iris snatched up the contract on the coffee table, tapping the drop of Clary’s blood blotted in at the bottom. “You made a blood oath to help me, Clary; whether I fulfilled my part of the bargain is irrelevant.” 

Clary scoffed, and shook her head, heading for the door. She walked right into a wall of magic, and looked over her shoulder to glare at Iris. “Let me go.” 

“But I need you, Clary. The warlocks need you.” Iris told her, putting the contract back down. “I’ve been trying for decades to perfect a potion that will allow a shadowhunter to bear a warlock. Can you imagine it, Clary? A warlock with the ability to use runes? That baby would be the saviour of both our races.” 

“You want me to have a baby?!” 

Iris smiled, pushing Clary’s hair behind her ear, but she flinched away. “It’s an unpleasant conception, it’s true, but I promise you, you won’t remember a thing.” 

Clary’s lip curled. “You stay away from me.” 

“It’s easier if you’re conscious, my dear, but I’m not above rendering you unconscious.” 

Clary wheeled around the warlock, brandishing her stele. Was there an anti-magic rune? If there was, she didn’t know it. As Iris raised her hand, a bright shape fizzled in front of her, a rune. Before she could question it, she drew it into her skin, and her hand exploded in a bright light. 

Iris screamed at the sight of it, and Clary turned to use it against the magic barrier, which melted away as the light fell on it. Her hand went back to normal as she yanked open the door to see Alec running up the stairs, and she barrelled past him, grabbing his shirt as she went. 

“We’ve gotta go!” She yelped, but he stopped dead at the bottom of the stairs. 

“There are mundanes here, we have to get them out. They’ve been-”

“Yeah, I know.” Clary swallowed hard, her eyes on the landing, where Iris was getting ready to attack again. 

Alec notched an arrow. “Go and get them, there’s a couple of warlock kids too. I’ll hold her off.” 

Clary wasn’t about to argue with him, and ran to the room Alec gestured to. There were four women, all of them holding babies, all of them heavily pregnant. In front of them was Madzie, the little girl from before, and Clary grabbed her hand. 

“We have to go, sweetie, come with me! I’m going to take you somewhere safe.” 

Luckily, Madzie didn’t argue. The group of them rushed past Alec, who was tense, ready to fire, but holding off until Iris engaged first. She was looking at him with appraisal in her eyes, most likely looking for a weakness. It made Alec nervous. When the front door closed behind Clary, Madzie and the Moms, Alec felt a little better, but he didn’t dare blink, his eyes locked with Iris’.

“This doesn’t have to end in a fight, Iris. Let me go and you’ll get a fair trial. I don’t want to have to shoot you.” Alec told her, backing up a step as she started walking down the stairs. 

“I know you don’t, Alec Lightwood.” Iris answered, and the hairs on the back of Alec’s neck stood on end. He hadn’t told her his surname. “I know who you are, Alec. And I know you’re suffering.” 

Alec set his jaw, pulling the string of his bow back a tiny bit further. “Stand down, or I will shoot.” 

“I can make you a real man, Alec. Imagine that. No surgery, no hormones. I could turn you into a born man, right here, right now.” Iris told him, and Alec’s arm dropped a little, his bow slackening. “All you have to do is give me back those women and I can give you everything you’ve ever wanted.” 

Later, Alec would hate himself for considering it for a moment. He wanted to believe it, he did believe it, for a shining moment. And then his bow creaked, and he remembered himself, raising his weapon once more. “That’s not possible.” Magnus would have told him.

“Are you sure?” Iris smirked. “Are you one hundred percent sure? If I am arrested, then you’ll never know, will you?” 

Alec’s face hardened. “It doesn’t matter. I’m fine the way I am. Put your hands in the air.”

Iris narrowed her eyes and prepared to strike, and Alec let his arrow fly, sending it straight through her hand. She screamed, clutching her impaled hand, her eyes venomous. “You’re going to regret that.”

“Alec!” Izzy burst through the door, her whip in her hand, and Iris hurriedly cast a portal as Alec notched another arrow. Izzy tried to grab her, but Iris’ magic sent the whip slipping past her. 

Iris disappeared, the portal closing behind her, and Alec breathed out slowly, lowering his bow. 

“Thanks, Iz.” He muttered, slipping the arrow back into his quiver.

“Save it.” Izzy snapped, turning on her heel and storming out the front door. Alec frowned, and jogged to catch up with her down the street. 

“Are you mad at me?” He asked, flummoxed.

Izzy glared at him. 

“What… Did I do?” 

“What did you do?!” Izzy yelled, shaking her head. “You talked Clary into trying to bring Jocelyn back because you felt guilty! What the fuck, Alec?! What the fuck were you thinking?!” 

“Whoa, I talked her into it?!” Alec scoffed. “She asked me to help her, it was not my idea. What was I gonna do, Iz, say no?! I killed her!” 

The mundanes they were passing were looking at the siblings as if they were completely delusional, and both Lightwoods ignored them completely, too busy staring each other down as they walked. 

“You should have talked her out of it. You know that you’re not supposed to mess with death.” 

Alec snorted. “Yeah, yeah, okay. Fine. I just wonder what exactly you would have done in my situation, Iz. But no, of course, should’ve known, you don’t ever waver in your morals. You’re the epitome of righteousness, mmm, should’ve remembered that.” 

“How am I the bad guy here?! You fucked up, Alec!” 

“Do you think I don’t know that?!” Alec shouted, stopping in his tracks. He felt his throat close up.

Izzy faltered. “I don’t mean with-”

Alec looked away, down at his feet. “Look, I hate myself enough for the both of us, alright? Let’s just meet up with Clary.” 

“And Raj.” Izzy added, “he came too. He said they were gonna head towards Magnus’. He’s in charge of the warlocks, after all.” 

Alec nodded, “right. Better he deals with it than get the Clave involved.” 

They walked in awkward silence towards Magnus’ loft. For once, neither knew what to say to make the other feel better. When they got there, Magnus was in full High Warlock mode. He was sat in his armchair, with the four mothers and their babies sitting on the sofa opposite him, listening to their fractured testimonies with a grim look on his face. Madzie was playing on the floor with Raj, and Clary was standing behind Magnus. 

When Alec and Izzy walked in, Magnus glanced up and nodded at them, but he was clearly not in the mood to chat. Alec made a beeline for Raj and Madzie, and Izzy wandered over to Clary’s side. 

“Alec!” Madzie leapt to her feet and ran to his side when she noticed him, hugging his knees. 

“Hey, kiddo.” He patted her on the head. “You having fun with Raj?”

Madzie shrugged, and Raj laughed. “Nana was mean to you.”

“A little, but I’m okay.” Alec assured her, letting her pull him down to the ground so he could play too. She summoned a stuffed giraffe, and offered it to Alec. “Gee, thanks, it’s pretty.” 

Madzie smiled a little, and crossed her legs.

Izzy and Clary, on the other hand, stood in tense silence, looking at each other for a long moment. Izzy’s eyes were hard and resentful, and Clary could barely hold eye contact. Her eyes darting to the side, she tugged Izzy out onto the balcony, away from the others. 

“I’m sorry.” Clary said quietly, reaching for Izzy’s hand, but Izzy pulled it away, shaking her head.

“You did it again.”

“I know.” 

“You did exactly the same thing, again. You shut me out and ignored my advice.” Izzy pressed her lips together. “Do you really think I don’t know what I’m talking about, Clary? Do you trust me so little?” 

Clary licked her lips. “Could you do it to Alec? Could you accept it?” 

Izzy swallowed hard, shaking her head. “I’m not mad that you wanted to bring back your mother, Clary, I’m mad that you lied to me! Again!” 

“So if I’d told you what I was thinking of doing, you’d have let me?” Clary challenged. 

“I would have tried to talk you out of it, yeah. But if you ultimately decided to do it then I would have done all I could to minimise the risk. When are you going to start trusting me?” 

Clary looked at her feet. “I’m not exactly thinking straight right now.” 

“I know.” Izzy ran her fingers through her hair, flicking it over her shoulder. “I’m just… You could have been killed. Or worse. Look at those women, Clary. That could’ve been you.” She pointed through the window at the four women on Magnus’ couch. “And I’m tired of being lied to.” 

Clary scrubbed her hand down her face. “Okay. I’m sorry I lied to you.”

Izzy’s shoulders eased a little, but she folded her arms. “I’m sorry too.” 

“What are you sorry for?” Clary asked, confused.

Izzy shrugged, digging her nails into her palms. “I shouldn’t be yelling at you right now. Your Mom’s funeral is tomorrow.” 

“There’s never a good time for yelling in this life,” Clary snorted, tentatively cupping Izzy’s elbow in her hand. Izzy looked at her through her eyelashes, a small smile on her face. “Any chance of a hug?” 

“Come here,” Izzy sighed, wrapping her arms around Clary’s neck and squeezing her tightly, burying her face between her own arm and Clary’s throat. The thought of what Clary had so narrowly escaped scared the shit out of her.

Magnus cleared his throat lightly, and the two women parted to look around at him where he was standing in the doorway. “I need to ask you some questions, Clary.”

“Yeah, of course,” Clary agreed, rubbing Izzy’s arm as she followed Magnus back inside. 

“Raj, could you look after our guests?” Magnus asked as he came back into the living room, and Raj nodded.

“Can I get you guys anything? Uh… What do you need?” Raj asked the women, sitting down in the armchair Magnus had just vacated.

“How did you get away from Iris? Alec said you were both unarmed?” Magnus murmured, leading Clary, Izzy, and Alec into the apothecary. He knew first hand how talented Iris was at offensive spells; the four of them were lucky to be alive. He’d swear that he’d banned her from his city decades ago; why hadn’t the Clave alerted him that she’d returned?

Clary pulled her stele out, and shrugged one shoulder. “I used a rune.” 

Alec glanced sidelong at Magnus. “What rune?”

“I don’t know, I’ve never seen it before. I figured you sent a message to me, like a fire message.” Clary frowned.

“You got a fire message?” Magnus asked.

“No, it just sort of appeared in the air. I don’t know, I just assumed it was from Alec.” 

“Appeared in the air?!” Izzy repeated, her eyebrows raised. 

Clary laughed nervously, looking at all of them in turn. “Yeah… Is that bad? Who sent it?” 

Magnus rubbed his beard. “Clary, I think we should test your blood.” He snatched up a vial from the desk and pulled the lid off. “Is that alright?”

“Do you think it’s a demon blood thing?” Izzy asked.

“Demons can’t use runes, it must be…” Alec trailed off, his eyebrows furrowed. 

“Must be what?” Clary gulped.

“Let’s not jump to conclusions,” Magnus smiled weakly, summoning a needle and syringe. “May I?” 

Clary nodded, sucking on her lower lip. She rolled up her sleeve and turned her face away as Magnus extracted some blood and put it in the vial. “I hate needles,” she muttered, and Magnus tutted, closing the puncture with a flick of his fingers once he was done. 

“Right. Let’s have a look…” Magnus sat down behind his desk, narrowing his eyes as he pinched the air next to the vial, tugging out a silvery magic thread. His eyebrows raised slowly, and Izzy’s hand came up to her mouth. “Well.”

“What? What is it?” Clary demanded.

“It’s angel blood. Isn’t it?” Alec looked at the silvery energy between Magnus’ fingertips. 

Magnus nodded, releasing the thread. It retreated back into the vial, mixing back with Clary’s blood and disappearing. “It’s not demon blood that your father dosed you with, Clary. It’s angel blood. You have a direct blood connection to an angel, who sent a vision to you. That’s where the rune came from.” 

“So will she see more runes?” Izzy asked, and Magnus sighed.

“I don’t know,” he admitted. “I’ve never met a shadowhunter with a direct blood connection to the angels. Not that I know of, anyway. There haven’t been pureblood shadowhunters in hundreds of years. To get blood from an angel…” Magnus shook his head, his eyes far away. 

Izzy pressed her lips together. “Magnus, what does this mean?” 

“The angels… They wouldn’t…” Alec shook his head, rubbing his arms. 

Magnus sighed. “I don’t know.”

“What? What’s going on?” Clary asked miserably.

“Angels possess unimaginable power. If Valentine had access to angel blood, it could only be because the angels allowed him to have it.” Magnus explained. 

Clary’s eyebrows twitched.

“The angels want Valentine to succeed.” Izzy said, her voice wavering. “Don’t they?”

Magnus looked up at the ceiling, before dropping his eyes to the desk once more. “It seems that way.”

“Then fuck them.” Alec growled. “Fuck the angels.”

“Alexander!” Magnus’ eyes were wide when they met Alec’s. 

Alec’s face was set. “I’m not kidding. If the angels want downworlders dead, then I want nothing to do with them.”

“I knew it,” Izzy whispered, “I knew it.” 

“Hey,” Magnus leaned forward. “We don’t know what the angels’ plans are. For all we know, they allowed this to happen to give us a weapon against Valentine. I…” He hesitated. “I don’t want to believe that I am condemned. Let’s… Hold off on judgement, hmm?” 

Clary didn’t know what to say. “What should I do?” 

“We’re not telling the Clave.” Alec insisted. “No way.”

“Agreed,” Izzy nodded, putting her hand on Clary’s back. “They’re already shifty around her, we can’t let them know that she’s blessed by the angel.”

“Alright, but what should I do?!” Clary repeated. “I’m… What? A walking weapon? What does this mean?”

“It doesn’t have to mean anything.” Magnus assured her, getting up from his desk. “Just do what you’ve been doing up until now. Fight Valentine. This changes nothing about the core of you. I promise.” 

Clary gave him a weak smile, and let him pull her into a hug. Over the top of her head, Alec and Magnus shared a worried, foreboding look. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“This is a shadowhunter ceremony, gentlemen.” Aldertree stood to block the doorway as Luke and Simon walked up. Magnus flicked his wrist and sent Aldertree skidding aside, not breaking stride. Luke and Simon hurried after him as Aldertree righted himself, right up to Clary, who was standing in the front row next to Izzy. 

“Hey, kiddo.” Luke pulled her into a hug, patting the back of her head. “How are you holding up?” 

“Downworlders are banned from the Institute!” Aldertree whisper-yelled, coming up behind them, and Magnus grasped his elbow, leading him a few steps away from Luke, Simon and Clary. 

“I suggest you leave Luke and Simon alone. I will not hesitate to banish you to the other side of the city if you make this any harder than it already is. Sure, you can arrest me afterwards, but then it’ll all be a big political mess for you, and I don’t think you want the Clave looking too hard at the way you run this place considering you just illegally tortured the local clan leader.” He warned pleasantly, sweeping some lint from Aldertree’s lapel. “Do we understand each other?” 

Aldertree clenched his jaw, and batted Magnus’ hand away. “You will all leave the moment the ceremony is over. And if any of you even think about participating…”

“We will do as we please.” Magnus answered coolly. “And you will stay quiet. Jocelyn and the Silent Brothers died on your watch. If I were you I know I’d be a lot less brave with my threats.” 

Without another word, Aldertree stalked off to stand next to Raj, who shuffled away half a step and nodded to Magnus. 

“The ceremony is about to begin,” the Silent Brother at the altar boomed, and Magnus hurried to take his place next to Alec in the second row, who looked like he was about to vomit. Magnus reached out to squeeze his hand, and Alec squeezed it back. “Those remaining will take their place with the fallen.” 

Clary stepped forward, tugging Luke and Simon along with her. Magnus smiled a little, for her tenacity. Some of the shadowhunters in the room shifted uncomfortably, and Magnus dared them to try anything, but they all stayed quiet. He glanced over at Alec, who was gripping Magnus’ hand so tightly it almost hurt. 

Alec’s eyes were fixed on Clary, and her hand that tentatively reached out to touch the soft white cloth laid over her mother’s body. He was holding his breath, and Magnus rubbed his thumb across the back of Alec’s hand soothingly. There wasn’t anything he could say, he knew that, but at least he was here. 

Clary gazed down at the stillness of her mother, the slope of her nose and the dip of her closed eyes, and she still couldn’t believe that any of this was real. She clutched Luke close to her, but she couldn’t look away from Jocelyn. Simon was standing on Jocelyn’s other side, wearing a white suit with a black ribbon pinned to his lapel, his hand cool on top of Clary’s where it rested on Jocelyn’s clavicle.

“Those remaining will say the names of the fallen,” the Silent Brother instructed, and Clary felt goosebumps erupt on her arm as the whole room looked expectantly at her. Her throat closed up, and she swallowed hard, shaking her head. Simon squeezed her fingers.

“Jocelyn Fairchild.” Luke said, loud enough for the room to hear him, and Clary’s vision blurred. She turned to press her face into Luke’s chest and let it overcome her, sobs wracking her body so hard it was painful.

The shadowhunters assembled said their chant, and Simon tore the ribbon on his lapel, his lower lip wobbling. 

“Hail and farewell.”

Luke, Clary and Simon rejoined the audience, Luke’s arm around Clary to guide her. Clary had her hands over her face, trying to muffle her tears, but Luke gently pulled it down, wiping away her tears with his thumbs. 

“Look,” he whispered, and she turned her face to see silvery strands of light float up from her mother’s body, tendrils similar to the one she’d seen Magnus pull from her blood curling up towards the skylight, where it escaped into the sky. 

Her sobs quietened as she watched her mother’s essence drift away, and Simon sniffed loudly next to her. She pulled him into her side and started to cry again. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Magnus didn’t need to ask Alec if he was coming home with him that night. They stopped off at Alec’s room so he could grab some clothes and his toothbrush, and then Alec’s hand was back in his. He was quiet for a long time, sitting silently on the couch as Magnus darted around the kitchen making them a couple of sandwiches. 

When he came back into the room, Alec was wiping his nose in his sleeve, turning his face away to look out the window. Magnus put the sandwiches down on the coffee table and sat next to Alec, rubbing his back. Alec sniffed, and scooted around to face him. 

“I have to have surgery next week.” He said quietly, his voice rough from the suppressed tears. 

Magnus frowned a little, not having expected that particular sentiment. “If that’s what you want.” 

“I almost let Iris go…” Alec admitted, swallowing hard. “She said that she could make me cis, and I was tempted. I can’t… Afford that weakness.” 

That made sense. Magnus squeezed his knee lightly. “I understand.”

Alec chewed the inside of his cheek, looking at Magnus through damp eyelashes. “Is it true, Magnus?” 

“That magic could make you cis?” 

Alec nodded.

“I… I’m sorry, angel, but I don’t think so. No spell that I’ve ever heard of, anyway. There’s glamours, and shape-shifting potions, but nothing that can change your body permanently like that.” He explained. “The only thing that may do it is a deal with a greater demon, but… That’s not…”

“So that’s what Iris meant?” Alec asked, equal parts relieved and disappointed. 

Magnus considered it. “I think she was just trying to say whatever would make you doubt yourself.”

“Yeah…” 

“I’m sorry. If your dysphoria is that bad, we can look at options, there’s stuff I’ve done for people before…” 

“No, I uhm…” Alec cleared his throat. “It’s not even that bad. Since you… I don’t know, I don’t feel so…” 

Magnus smiled slightly. “I’m glad to hear it.” 

Alec returned it, though it faded after a moment. “It’s not just Iris, though. Hodge got away before, because I wanted so badly to believe that there were other gay shadowhunters. My sexuality, and my body, they’re distractions. I don’t have the…” He searched for the word, his eyebrows scrunching. 

“Perspective?” 

“Yeah, yeah, perspective.” Alec agreed. “I think it’s best that I have surgery now. While Valentine is quiet. I couldn’t live with myself… If… I… I can’t do this again. I can’t have it be my fault, not again.” 

Magnus petted down Alec’s arm. “Jocelyn’s death was not your fault, Alec. If it hadn’t been you the demon inhabited, it would’ve been someone else. Jocelyn was meant to die in that attack. I’m sorry for Clary, but it’s true. It would have happened, in every universe. You played absolutely no part in what happened. Sometimes these things are meant to happen.” 

“You can… Sense that?” 

“Yes.” It was a lie, but Magnus said it without regret or guilt. It was what Alec needed to hear, and who was it going to hurt?

Alec leaned into Magnus’ side, and Magnus kissed the top of his head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THAT BOMBSHELL AT THE END OOF
> 
> We are officially halfway through Scrambling For Purchase! It's been a SUPER tough couple of weeks for me - I had to say goodbye to my partner for another 6 months after a great weekend together, and the last few days I've been relentlessly under fire for calling out transphobia on Twitter, so your support would mean THE WORLD. I'm reading all your livetweets in the #SFPfic hashtag, and they fill me with joy. Much love to all who've already been tweeting!


	6. Episode 6: Iron Sisters

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's an nsfw extra to this chapter involving Malec that I'm gonna be posting in this collection in the next couple of hours - https://archiveofourown.org/works/14159901 - I was originally just gonna put it in here and make this instalment explicit but I want this to be accessible for younger trans people so I figured it's best to separate the explicit material from the rest of the story. There's also a fade to black clizzy scene - I don't really feel like I should be writing wlw sex, considering I'm a dude, so I've left that as is. If a wlw wants to write what happens after that fade to black and add it to this 'verse, let me know! You all know I'm a SLUT for ownvoices work, and I'd love to have my wlw babes' voices heard.
> 
> Onto the trigger warnings!
> 
> Medical equipment: Alec has an IV line put in, and he’s not fond of needles. It’s not described in detail. Brief descriptions of tubing, drains, IVs etc
> 
> Anxiety: Alec has the beginnings of an anxiety attack right as he goes down for surgery, but Cat and Magnus are there to soothe him
> 
> Racism: Cleophas says that it would have been better for Luke to die rather than to become a wolf. Clary and Izzy make a decision to keep the truth about the Soul Sword from the downworlders until they can tell Alec.
> 
> Masochism?/Self-harm?: Alec stops Magnus from using his magic to get rid of his discomfort when he first wakes up - he’s on pain medication so it isn’t too bad but he expresses that he wants to feel uncomfortable. 
> 
> Misgendering: Alec is sort of misgendered? I don’t want to spoil too much but he is sort of indirectly misgendered by the angels. IT MAKES SENSE I PROMISE
> 
> Queerphobic micro-aggressions: Maryse pulls the ‘this is very hard for me’ thing when Alec calls her out on not liking Magnus.
> 
> Attempted reconciliation/dysfunctional parent/child relationships: Maryse tries to convince Alec that she’s had his best interests at heart, Alec brushes her off and tells her to leave. They have another conversation later which is a lot more constructive.
> 
> Alcoholism/interventions: Cat and Ragnor have taken all of Magnus’ alcohol and confront him about his addiction. Magnus agrees to try and quit drinking for a few weeks.
> 
> Aftermath of abuse: Ragnor, Cat and Magnus briefly discuss how Iris’ victims are getting on.

Izzy missed Clary. 

Ever since her mother’s funeral almost a week ago, they’d barely seen each other. Clary had thrown herself into work, going out on patrol with Raj as often as she could, and with Izzy banned from the field that meant that the only time they were able to be together was at night.

Clary hadn’t snuck into her room since the night before Iris’. 

In theory, Izzy knew they were supposed to be okay. They’d made up; everything was supposed to go back to normal. But Clary was distant, and Izzy didn’t know what to do to fix it. 

She rolled over onto her side and looked at the door, wondering if Clary was waiting for her to make the first move. Clary needed space though, right? Her mother had just died. Izzy didn’t want to push it. Nevertheless, she sat up. It couldn’t hurt to go and ask, could it?

The corridor was quiet; everyone was asleep or on the night shift. Izzy snuck to Clary’s room, two doors down, and knocked on the door. There was no answer, and there was no light streaming out under the door. Izzy sighed, and turned to go back to bed when she saw Clary walking towards her.

It occurred to her that she’d never gotten a look at Clary fresh from patrol, not up close, and the sight took her breath away. Her hair was mostly tied up in a ponytail, but a lot of it had fallen out around her face, some of it stuck to her neck with fresh sweat, which glistened on her throat and down around the neck of her t-shirt. She was still panting a little, apparently having run back to the Institute, and her hands were grubby, clutching twin seraph daggers. To top it off, she was wearing a thigh holster and combat boots, and Izzy had to swallow twice before she could speak. 

“Hey,” Clary whispered, a little tension bleeding out of her at the sight of Izzy in her pyjamas. “What are you doing still up?”

“Wanted to see if you were up,” Izzy admitted, hugging her arms around herself and rubbing her bicep. Suddenly she felt exposed in her thin cami and shorts.

Clary smiled, her eyebrow quirking like she knew what Izzy was thinking. “You wanna hang out?” 

“Are you too tired?” 

“Nah, I’m…” Clary shrugged, sheathing one of the blades she’d been holding in her thigh holster. “Kinda pumped, actually. We fought a couple of ravener demons just on the border of the Institute. It was awesome.” 

Izzy nodded, tapping her arm with her finger. “Well… I’m up. If you wanna…” 

“Yeah, sure. Let me just shower and I’ll be right there.” Clary kissed Izzy lightly on the lips and disappeared into her room. After a second to make sure the image of Clary fresh from a fight was suitably seared into her memory, Izzy headed back into her bedroom and got under the covers. She was always a little nervous when Clary and her hung out in her bedroom, in a nice way. There had been people in the past that she cared about, but it always developed after they’d had sex. It was strange, falling for someone before seeing them naked. 

Before anything like that happened, though, Izzy knew they had to talk. They hadn’t resolved their issues with transparency, and Izzy hadn’t even begun to tell her about Aldertree. 

All of that went out the window when Clary slipped into the room wearing only a towel, a second one in her hand. 

“Hi,” Clary faltered near the door once it had been snapped shut behind her. “Can I come in?” 

“Yeah, of course.” Izzy scratched the side of her neck, sitting up against the headboard.

Clary sat on the edge of the bed, rubbing her hair dry with her spare towel. “So, what’s up?”

“Not much,” Izzy answered. Clary hummed, and Izzy grimaced. “Actually, that’s not true.”

“What happened?” Clary asked, scratching at her scalp through the towel. 

Izzy pulled the covers up over her lap. “Aldertree. He said he’d let us go on a mission to the Iron Sisters together if I agreed to tell him your plans.”

“He must have known that was pointless,” Clary snorted.

“If I don’t keep you in check or warn him when you’re about to go rogue, he’s going to put you in the City of Bones until we retrieve the Soul Sword.” Izzy said quietly, reaching out to stroke Clary’s forearm. “Which means you have to stay on mission. You can’t go off pulling stunts like you did with Iris. It’ll get both of us in trouble.” 

Clary quirked her eyebrow. “What would he imprison me for?”

“You know he doesn’t care about the law, not really.” Izzy sighed. “Clary, please. Please, just… Let’s keep our heads down. Do what we have to do, but quietly, like we did when we rescued Simon from the Hotel DuMort.” 

Realising her hair was as dry as it was going to get without blow-drying, Clary dropped the towel she’d been using on the ground, and scooted up the bed a little, holding the towel around her chest with one hand. “Okay. If that’s what you want. We’ll be more careful.” 

“This trip to the Iron Sisters will be helpful, anyway. They know everything there is to know about the Mortal Instruments. If we can figure out why Valentine wanted the Soul Sword, we’ll be that much closer to stopping him.” 

“Yeah. Yeah, that’s a good plan.” Clary agreed, fiddling the the bottom of the towel. “Did you tell him I have angel blood?”

“What? No. Clary…” Izzy took her hand, lacing their fingers together. “Of course I didn’t. I would never betray you like that.” 

Clary looked down at their hands, her thumb moving slowly over Izzy’s soft, tan skin. “Iz… Is this ever going to work?” 

“What do you mean?” A sense of dread dropped into Izzy’s stomach. 

“It just feels like the entire world is trying to prise us apart. Every move we make is wrong, and someone’s always trying to stop us. Would it be easier on both of us if we just…” Clary shrugged one shoulder. “Stopped this?” 

“Is that what you want?”

Clary raised her eyes to Izzy’s face. “No. But…”

Izzy leaned in and kissed her. Her free hand came up to hold Clary’s cheek, her fingers resting just at the base of Clary’s skull, and she poured all her desperation into the way her lips moved, shifting to kiss her harder. Clary’s hand came up to touch Izzy’s elbow before gripping her waist, her other letting Izzy’s fingers go to stroke her back. 

Words both were afraid to say were pressed into each others’ mouths, romance and defiance and lust all at once, and as Izzy climbed into Clary’s lap they broke apart and grinned at each other, eyes warm and determined.

“We’re not going anywhere.” Izzy muttered, pushing Clary’s shoulder back towards the bed. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Alec decided to spend his last night before top surgery at Magnus’. The last time he’d been in this position he’d stayed up half the night trying to figure out if he had real feelings for Magnus, and it seemed fitting to stay with him this time. He’d barely slept at the Institute since he and Magnus had made it official; Magnus’ bed was more comfortable, and portals meant that he was in the kitchen for breakfast before Izzy most mornings. 

“You really don’t have to come tomorrow,” Alec insisted as they got ready for bed, “I’ll be fine with Cat.” 

Magnus shrugged, throwing his used make-up wipe at the bathroom bin and grabbing his toner water. “I know, but I want to be there for you.”

Alec smiled, peeling off his binder. He looked at it for a moment, his eyes taking in the worn material. It had served him well. It wasn’t his first binder; that one had been thrown away years ago, right after he started testosterone and his Mom found out that it didn’t fit him properly. But it had been his binder for a long time. He’d attracted Magnus with this binder. This binder had only made him pass out half a dozen times. 

“You okay?” Magnus asked, coming up behind him and slipping his arms around Alec’s waist, his lips falling to Alec’s shoulder.

“Mmmmm, just thinking,” Alec replied, tossing his binder towards the desk chair where his clothes for tomorrow lay ready. “It’s so weird that this time tomorrow I’ll never have to wear a binder again.” 

“It is,” Magnus agreed, “are you excited?” 

Alec turned around in his arms, putting his arms around Magnus’ neck. “Yeah, I think I am. I mean, the recovery is going to suck. But yeah… I’ll be able to wear muscle tees properly. Button down shirts will look good on me.”

“They already look good on you, angel.” 

Alec rolled his eyes, a smile on his face. “You would say that.” 

Magnus hummed, kissing Alec’s cheek. “You’re right. I think you look gorgeous in everything.”

“And nothing.” 

Magnus laughed and pulled away. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Of course, because Aldertree was a scummy bastard, he chose to send Izzy and Clary on the Iron Sisters mission on the same day that Alec was going in for his surgery. They only heard the news a few hours before Izzy was due to meet him at the hospital, and Izzy considered telling Aldertree to go fuck himself, but she told him she’d get back to him through gritted teeth and left his office to call Alec. 

“Well, you have to go. You’re obsessed with the Iron Sisters, you can’t miss it, and Clary can’t go by herself. She’ll start ranting about how shitty the Clave is and get herself cynically murdered with a freshly forged seraph blade.” Alec said matter-of-factly, sounding a little distracted. 

Izzy sighed. “Yeah. You’re right. I just feel bad not going with you.” 

“Don’t, I have Magnus. Besides, I love you, but you made me nervous last time with your fussing. Mom’s meeting me back here after I come out, Magnus is sorting us with portals, it’s fine. Really.” He assured her.

“You promise?”

“I swear,” Alec insisted. “Go live your dream, and I’ll live mine. I’ll be out by the time you come back… Unless I perish on the table, or turn into a forsaken.” 

“Don’t joke about that!” Izzy hissed, and Alec chuckled. 

“I’ll be fine. Cat’s an expert.”

“Alexander’s just determined to have us all worried about him all day,” Magnus yelled towards the phone, and Izzy smiled. 

“Yeah, you’re right. Tell your boyfriend he’s right.”

“Izzy said you’re right.” Alec admitted, a pout in his voice, which made Izzy laugh.

There was a wet smacking sound, and Izzy held the phone away from her ear for a second. When she put it back, the gross kissing sounds were still going on, so she cleared her throat loudly.

“Anyway!” Alec coughed, “I’ll be fine. Go meet your heroes.” 

“Okay. Be safe, Alec, I mean it. I love you.” 

“I love you too, little sister. See you later.” 

Izzy hung up, satisfied that Alec was in capable hands. She was a little annoyed that she wouldn’t be present for this huge milestone in his life, but if he was okay with it, then she would be, too. Alec understood better than anybody how important the Iron Sisters were to her. So, she’d go. But that wasn’t going to stop her from texting Magnus every ten minutes asking for updates. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Alec felt like he was on cloud nine as he and Magnus prepared to leave for the hospital. He couldn’t stop thinking about the night before, how Magnus had finally asked him if he was ready to fool around a little more, and Alec said yes before Magnus could even get the whole sentence out.

Genitals hadn’t even touched and Alec had had the best night of his whole life. He felt smug as hell every time he looked at Magnus, which made Magnus laugh whenever they made eye contact. If Alec didn’t know any better, he’d say Magnus felt a little flustered about the whole thing. 

“Stop looking at me like that, you’re making me feel… Giddy.” Magnus smiled into his coffee mug, watching Alec get ready with warm eyes. 

Alec beamed at him, hopping from one foot to the other to pull up his chinos. “I can’t help it. You’re just so good.” 

Magnus scoffed, and set his mug down. “I barely touched you.”

“You didn’t have to. That’s how good you are.” 

“Hmm,” Magnus didn’t argue, and that made Alec’s heart just about burst in his chest. He wandered over to Magnus once he was dressed to cuddle him, pressing his lips into his shoulder. 

“You’re wonderful. Last night was wonderful. I’m so lucky to share my firsts with you.” Alec murmured, kissing up Magnus’ neck. 

Magnus sighed and arched his head to the side, his eyes slipping shut. “Alexander, you’ve got to stop being so kind to me before I fall head over heels in love with you.” 

Alec huffed against his skin. “Like that would be a bad thing.” 

“Mmmm, this soon? It would be silly of me. I know better.” Magnus sounded equal parts blissful and fearful, and Alec pulled back to look him in the eyes. 

“Do you?” 

Magnus smiled wryly. “I thought I did, until I met you.” He pulled Alec’s hand up to his lips and kissed his knuckles. “You make me weak.”

“No,” Alec shook his head, “it’s not weakness to let somebody in.”

“Maybe so,” Magnus allowed, watching Alec’s eyes roam all over his face and shoulders as if drinking in every detail. Magnus felt so beautiful under the caress of those hazel eyes. It was a feeling that he wasn’t used to, and it thrilled him in the most intoxicating, terrifying way. “We need to go.”

“Yeah,” Alec nodded, tugging a t-shirt on over his binder. “Cat will have our asses if we’re late.” 

“You ready?” 

“Just about,” he answered, sitting down on the bed to put on his socks and shoes. 

Magnus cast the portal to Cat’s office, and let Alec go first, grabbing his folder of paperwork before following. He knew that he probably wouldn’t get much done while Alec was under, but he at least wanted to have the option of a distraction. Doctor Camarena looked totally nonplussed by the portal, and shook Alec’s hand with a proud smile.

“It’s great to see you, Alec. You feeling good?” He asked.

“Yeah, I’m excited.” Alec nodded, shoving his hands in his pockets. 

“Glad to hear it. Catarina’s going to take you onto a ward to get you settled and your vitals read, and I’ll see you in the theatre in a little while, alright?”

Catarina led the way to the surgical ward, Alec gripping tightly onto Magnus’ hand all the way. Magnus suspected that a part of him was still nervous about the blood transfusions. The three of them made small talk about the food they ate last night, Cat watching Alec carefully as he hopped up on the bed. 

“Do you want to have the IV put in before or after you change?” Cat asked, wheeling the equipment cart over. 

Alec chewed the inside of his cheek. “I’ll change first. Damn… This is not my colour.” He joked as Cat handed him the light blue surgical gown.

“I’m sure Doctor Camarena still thinks you’re adorable.” Magnus teased, and Alec snorted as Cat pulled the curtains shut around the bed, leaving the two men with the illusion of privacy. 

“How’d you know I liked him?” 

Magnus smirked. “You like professional, well dressed men with good hair.” 

Alec groaned, peeling his binder over his head. “God, you’re right.” He pushed his trousers over his hips, frowning down at his boxers. “Can I keep these on?” 

“I don’t see why not,” Magnus shrugged, holding up the gown for Alec to put his arms through. “And for the record, this colour doesn’t look awful on you.” 

“Not awful,” Alec echoed, rolling his eyes a little. “Gee, thanks.”

Magnus kissed his temple, and went to get Cat. 

“Right, first things first, blood pressure and pulse. Hop up for me, sweetie?” She patted the bed, and Alec held the skirt of the gown down as he inelegantly hopped up onto the bed, which made Magnus smile fondly. 

“You don’t have to stand there, you can go get a cup of coffee or do some work if you want,” Alec reminded Magnus as Cat put the pulse monitor on his finger. 

“I’m okay,” Magnus assured him, though he did sit down in the chair next to the bed. 

“Alright, everything’s looking good.” Cat hummed, noting down the figures on Alec’s chart. “Is your phone off, before we put the line in? No emergencies this time, I’ll rip Valentine’s face off myself if he interrupts this one.” She winked, and Alec smirked at her, turning off his phone and handing it to Magnus. 

“Hey, uh… Could you…?” Alec’s eyes were fixed on where Cat was preparing the needle, though he was talking to Magnus. 

Magnus smiled and got up, standing next to the bed. “You want me to hold your hand?” 

Alec shrugged one shoulder, his cheeks a bit pink. “If you want.” 

Cat and Magnus laughed fondly, and Magnus intertwined his fingers with Alec’s. “I’m right here.” 

“So where’s Izzy?” Cat asked, “thought she’d be the one holding your hand.” 

“She’s going to see the Iron Sisters with Clary for some intelligence.” Alec answered, forcing himself to look at Magnus. 

“Ahh, I see. Aldertree trying to make your life difficult again?” 

“Again? He never stopped,” Alec huffed, wrinkling his nose at the pinch of the needle, but Magnus’ thumb swept across the back of his hand soothingly. 

Cat tutted. “You’ll think of a way to get rid of him. There’s no way he’ll last after what he did to Raphael.” 

Magnus cleared his throat and shook his head, and Cat’s eyes widened a little.

“What?” Alec looked between the two of them, his eyes darting down to the tubing taped to his hand before going back up to Cat’s face. “What did he do to Raphael?!”

“We’ll tell you everything when you wake up. It’s nothing we downworlders can’t handle amongst ourselves.” Cat assured him, patting his shoulder.

Alec looked at Magnus suspiciously, but relaxed into the bed anyway. “I’ll hold you to that. I will.” 

“It’s hardly worth mentioning, angel. No lasting damage was done.” Magnus promised. 

“Alright.” Alec allowed, squeezing Magnus’ hand. “Okay, what now?” 

Cat checked her watch. “Now we take you down to the operating theatre, if you’re ready?” 

“Yeah, yeah, let’s go. I’m ready.” Alec nodded. 

“You can either stay here or hang out in the waiting room outside the theatre,” Cat told Magnus, and Magnus grabbed his folder of paperwork from the chair he’d been sitting on before. 

“I’ll come down.” 

Alec smiled gratefully, and Cat took the folder from Magnus and put it on the bed at Alec’s feet. 

“Good,” she smirked, “you can help me wheel him down then.”

It was weird being rolled around places while lying on a bed. Alec couldn’t say he was fond of it; he was gripping the sides of it for dear life the whole way down, closing his eyes when they went around a corner. Magnus and Cat were chatting about Ragnor’s latest fire message from Kenya, and Alec was just focussing on not panicking. 

He wouldn’t admit it out loud, but he was worried. What if his chest looked terrible after surgery? What if his stitches didn’t heal properly and he got an infection? What if he was in so much pain that he couldn’t move and his muscles atrophied and he couldn’t work in the field anymore?

“Hey,” Cat murmured, and Alec realised the bed had stopped in front of a pair of double doors. “You’re spiralling. Breathe. I’ve got you, you know that.” 

Alec took a deep breath in through his nose, leaning into Magnus’ hand when it swept through his hair. “Okay. Sorry.” 

“No need to apologise. You’re fine.” 

“I’ll be right here, okay? I’ll see you as soon as you wake up.” Magnus promised, pressing his lips to Alec’s forehead. 

“Yeah… Yeah.” Alec whispered, smiling up at him. “Okay. I’m ready.” 

“Good luck, Alexander.” Magnus said, and Cat pushed the bed through the double doors.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Clary promised to check in on Luke before she left for the Citadel where the Iron Sisters made their home. She and Izzy weren’t going until after lunch anyway; Izzy was supposed to be seeing Alec to the hospital this morning. They’d arranged to go out for breakfast, but Luke was running late after a border dispute kept him up all night, so Clary agreed to wait for him at the Jade Wolf while he sorted himself out. She suspected that Luke asked her to come over so he could check on her, too.

She was wondering how much nagging it would take for Luke to install WiFi in the restaurant when a woman she’d never seen before slid into the booth opposite her. Clary glanced up, and put her phone down on the table. 

“I’m Maia. We met… When I was a wolf.” 

“Oh! Maia! Right, right, yeah, I didn’t recognise you, with…” Clary trailed off.

Maia giggled and rested her chin on her hand, her elbow on the table. “Without the fur?” 

“Yeah, something like that.” 

“I just wanted to come over and introduce myself. And apologise, for what happened with Izzy.” Maia shrugged, nerves flashing on her face.

“Don’t worry about it,” Clary insisted, “you helped protect her in the end. I appreciated it.” 

Maia scratched her ear. “Yeah, things can out of hand quick when something happens to a member of the pack. And I’m sorry to hear about your Mom, too. Luke really cared about her.” 

Clary cleared her throat, nodding. “Yeah. Thanks. I’m really sorry about Gretel, too.” 

“I texted Izzy to ask if you guys wanted to grab dinner or something sometime? I know Alec’s going in for surgery so you’re probably gonna be busy the next few days…” 

“Yeah, yeah, she said. I’m looking forward to it.” Clary smiled, “though, no offense, I hope we’re going somewhere other than the Jade Wolf. I’ve eaten everything on the menu at least twice in the last couple of weeks.”

“Cross my heart and hope to die,” Maia laughed. “We’ll go somewhere better.”

“Better than the Jade Wolf?!” Luke sounded scandalised, and the two women looked up to see him walking towards them with a teasing smirk on his face. Clary was relieved to see him smiling, and got up to give him a hug. “How you doing, kid?” 

“Good. Better.” Clary amended, because honestly just seeing Luke was enough to have her missing her Mom. “I spent the night with Izzy last night instead of working.” 

Maia wiggled her eyebrows, and Clary snorted. 

“That’s nice,” Luke smiled, “you ready to go?” 

Clary nodded, grabbing her bag from the bench as she gave Maia a wave. “Text me, get my number off Izzy.”

“Yeah, I will. Have fun, you guys.” 

They’d just pulled off the pier when Clary got the call from Izzy saying that their trip had been moved forward, and Clary groaned, thumping her head back against her seat. Luke shrugged one shoulder, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye.

“Change of plan?” 

“Aldertree’s making us go this morning. Asshole. Izzy’s gonna miss Alec’s surgery.” 

Luke sighed. “I wish I could say I’m surprised. It’s not like Izzy was gonna be there when he woke up anyway.”

“I know,” Clary tutted, glaring out of the window as Luke turned towards the Institute. “It’s just so typical. This is a huge deal for Alec, and he’s just gonna…” 

“If it helps, shadowhunters aren’t raised to put the same kind of sentimental value on stuff like this. Personal journeys are…” He struggled to find the word. “Frivolous, I guess. I’d put money on Alec being back in the field in a week.” 

Clary snorted. “No way. Maureen was fucked up for two weeks after her augmentation. There’s no way Alec’s gonna recover that fast.” 

“Iratzes are pretty damn powerful, and he’s got Magnus,” Luke pointed out.

“True,” Clary allowed, “and I can’t imagine Alec being patient with himself.” 

“Hell no. Kid’s a workaholic.” 

Clary smiled slightly. “Says you.”

Luke side-eyed her. “Alright, I’ll give you that one.”

Clary giggled, nudging him in the ribs.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“So did Aldertree bother to give a reason why we had to go now or did he just admit openly that he wants Alec to go through this alone?” Clary asked evenly as they walked up towards the Citadel. It was a huge, beautiful, white structure, rising up against a grey sky. Tall golden statues were stationed like sentries along the path that Izzy and Clary were on, and Clary jumped out of her skin when one turned its head to look at her.

Izzy fought to hold back a laugh as Clary clutched at her elbow. “Something about the trial the Iron Sisters have for us being most effective at midday. Besides, Alec has Magnus, who is giving me regular updates. He’s okay. I felt him go under, and now his side of the bond is just peaceful. He’s just sleeping, as far as I can feel.” 

“That’s good, I’m sure he’ll do great.” Clary smiled, but it faded as Izzy’s first comment registered. “Wait… Trials?” 

“Before we’re allowed entrance into the Citadel we have to prove that we’re not tainted by any demonic impurity.” Izzy shrugged. “Should be a piece of cake now we know you’ve got angel blood rather than demon blood.”

Clary nodded, swallowing down some nerves. “So this is serious shit, then?” 

“Uh, yeah.” Izzy scoffed. “If demons got inside the Citadel, then all the Institutes in the whole world could be corrupted. The angels themselves maintain the wards around this place; no warlock is trusted to do it. Not that any of them would take the job, anyway. It would drain any warlock dead.” 

“So hardcore magic, then?”

“Not magic. Pure angelic energy.” Izzy corrected, and Clary let out a low whistle. 

“Fuck.”

“Yeah. Best not curse in front of the Iron Sisters. They’re basically nuns with seraph blades.” Izzy whispered, patting Clary’s shoulder as they neared the golden gate. 

As Clary’s foot passed the wrought gold of the open gate, a dozen women in white robes materialised around Izzy and Clary wielding longswords, all of them much bigger than your average seraph blade. Izzy stopped in her tracks, grabbing Clary’s arm to keep her from making any moves, and shook her head, raising her hands slowly over her head.

“State your names and intentions.”

“I’m Isabelle Lightwood and this is Clary Fray. We’re from the New York Institute, we were sent by Director Aldertree to-”

“Why did you bring her with you?” 

“Clary?” Izzy looked around at her girlfriend, who looked confused.

“She is Valentine’s daughter.” 

“We’re not exactly close.” Clary quipped.

“Clary has been leading the fight against Valentine from the moment she entered the shadow world. She is trustworthy. Give her a purity trial and test her for yourself.” Izzy encouraged, and the Iron Sisters lowered their weapons.

“You will follow.”

Izzy motioned for Clary to go first, letting her fall into step with a dark-skinned Iron Sister who looked vaguely familiar, but Izzy couldn’t quite place her. Had she been a family friend? The Iron Sister that Izzy was escorted by was a total stranger, only a few years older than Izzy herself. She looked at Izzy with curiosity, her gaze unwavering even when Izzy met her eyes. 

“Apologies for our harsh treatment of you,” the Sister walking with Clary told them. “I must admit I get nervous at the mention of Valentine. He killed my brother, Lucian.” 

Clary frowned. “Lucian… Do you mean Luke? Garroway?” 

The Iron Sister pursed her lips.

“Luke isn’t dead, he’s-”

“A downworlder.” The Sister mused. “It would’ve been better for him to perish.”

Clary opened her mouth to argue, but Izzy reached out to squeeze her wrist from behind in warning. The click of Clary’s jaw clenching was almost audible. 

“What kind of purity trial will we face?” Izzy asked, to fill the strained silence that had fallen over the group. 

They turned off the path to gather next to a large fountain. Two Iron Sisters came out of nowhere holding white bundles of cloth, and Clary and Izzy glanced at each other. 

“You will lie in the water. It will reveal the truth of you. If there is but a tinge of demonic corruption, the water will swallow you.” Luke’s sister explained.

“As in… Drown us?” Clary checked.

“Do you have anything to fear?” Luke’s sister challenged, and Clary’s eyes narrowed. 

She wordlessly started to yank off her clothes, and Izzy fought the urge to put her head in her hands. Clary reminded her, very often, of Marty McFly, and she couldn’t wait for the day when Clary learned to ignore the people calling her chicken. 

The Iron Sisters didn’t bat an eyelid at Clary stripping down to her underwear in broad daylight next to an angelic fountain, so Izzy slowly started to take off her clothes too, pulling the ceremonial white dress over her head. She and Clary gave each other a nod once they were both ready, took each others’ hands and headed into the water, but Luke’s sister put her hand on Izzy’s shoulder.

“One at a time.” 

Clary went first. She stepped into the water and lay down, surprised to feel that it was slightly warmer than the air above it. The magic was palpable, and as Clary’s hair floated around her, the water began to shimmer with silvery light, and the Iron Sisters watching softened a little, comforted by the Angel’s approval of Clary.

Izzy had no reason to feel nervous about lying in the water, in theory. She didn’t have demonic blood, nor had she ever had a serious injury from a demon, but she and the Angel hadn’t exactly been on good terms lately. She resisted the urge to wonder if the Angel would drown her out of spite as she lay out in the water. 

She held her breath for the first moment, as the water soaked through her dress, her eyes clenched shut. 

The water was motionless, and just as when Clary had lain there, it began to glow with silver. With a sigh of relief, Izzy sat up. 

“You are both clean,” Luke’s sister smiled, the set of her eyebrows a little surprised. “Come with me. I have the answers you seek.”

“Sister Cleophas, is it wise to…?” 

“It’s time that shadowhunter society learned what we know about the Soul Sword and the Angel’s plan for all of us.” Cleophas insisted as Izzy reached them, handing her a towel. “You’ll be shown to a washroom to change back into your clothes and then the two of you can meet me in the gallery.”

The other Iron Sisters looked a little unsure, glancing at each other meaningfully as they led Izzy and Clary to the Citadel, but none of them spoke against Cleophas. Perhaps leadership ran in the Garroways’ blood, Clary thought.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Magnus got to his feet slowly as Cat came through the double doors, still wearing a surgical mask over her face. As she peeled it off, he saw that she was smiling, and let out a sigh of relief.

“Surgery went very well, no issues with the blood. The potion I made to bridge the gap between the angel and human blood worked like a dream. It couldn’t have gone more smoothly. When he wakes up he can draw an iratze and we’ll dose him up with some vicodin and he’ll be good to leave within the hour.” She explained, and Magnus nodded.

“Thank God.” 

“We had a little issue getting him asleep, though. Apparently shadowhunters have a higher tolerance for anaesthetic, who knew? I’m so writing a paper on this, it’s been so interesting working with angel blood.” 

Magnus hummed. “Is he coming back out this way, or…?” 

“No, he’s already on his way back up to the ward. I’ve got other patients to attend to but the ward nurse will page me when he wakes up, so I’ll see you then. You know your way back to the ward, right?” Cat asked, stripping off her gloves. 

“Yeah, I’ve got it. Thanks for looking after him, Cat.” 

Magnus bought a bag of Hershey’s Kisses, Alec’s favourite candy, in the little shop on the way back up to the ward. There was a nurse just finishing up checking Alec’s vitals when he got there, and she gave him a reassuring smile as she closed up Alec’s folder and left. He sat down in the chair next to the bed and took Alec’s hand, rubbing the back of it with his thumb. Alec’s breathing was even, and his mouth looked a little dry, but it wasn’t too bad. The bandages were tight against his chest, and Magnus wondered how he could breathe at all with them, but before he could think too hard on it, his phone rang. 

“Magnus? Have you heard anything?” Izzy asked, her voice crackly. No doubt the cell service at the Citadel was abysmal. 

“He’s right here, he just came out about ten minutes ago. Everything went great, I was just about to text you.” 

“Is he awake?!”

Magnus studied Alec’s face. “Not yet. Cat said he had a high tolerance for the anaesthetic though, so it could be five minutes or an hour, it’s hard to say.” 

“But he’s all good?”

“Yes, he’s totally fine. Cat was really happy with how it all went.”

Izzy sighed. “That’s great. I can’t stay and chat, me and Clary are meeting with Luke’s sister about the Soul Sword. I’ll see you back at the Institute later!”

“Alright, love. See you later.” Magnus smiled, hanging up the phone and putting it on the side.

He thought perhaps he should text Maryse from Alec’s phone, but just as he was reaching for it Alec groaned and shifted on the bed, and Magnus was distracted trying to keep Alec from turning over onto his side. He gently pinned Alec’s shoulders to the bed, his thumbs caressing Alec’s skin through the thin material of the surgical gown. 

“Mmmmnf?” 

“Hey, angel.” Magnus murmured, “try not to move, your body’s been through a lot.” 

Alec’s eyebrows furrowed, and his eyes cracked open. “Magnus?” He slurred, lifting his hands, and Magnus caught his fingers before they could touch his bandages. 

“I’m here.”

“All good?” 

“Yeah, it all went great. You did great.” 

Alec hummed hoarsely. “Drink?” 

Magnus reached for the jug of water on the table next to him and poured Alec a cup. “Don’t try to sit up, I’ve got you.” He stuck a straw in the cup and put it in Alec’s mouth. 

A satisfied noise vibrated in Alec’s chest at the soothing coolness of the water, but shortly after he hissed, his hand coming up to touch the bottom of his bandages before he could help himself. 

“Careful, everything’s going to be sore.” Magnus reminded him as Alec tentatively touched over where the swell of his breasts had been before. 

Alec swallowed hard, craning his neck to look down at his chest. “Oh.” 

Magnus smiled slightly, smoothing back his hair. “What do you think?” 

“Uhh…” Alec felt his lower lip tremble, and he sucked it into his mouth. “It really worked? They’re gone?” 

“Yes, Alexander, they’re gone.”

Alec nodded, sniffing and then hissing at the pressure it put on his ribs. “Ow.” 

Magnus waited, anxiety starting to creep in that maybe Alec had somehow changed his mind. He was opening his mouth to say that whatever he felt was okay, when Alec met his eyes.

“Mirror?” 

“Yes,” Magnus insisted, conjuring a full length mirror and levitating it over Alec’s bed. 

Alec looked at himself with wide eyes, a little disturbed by the tubes and drains and IV drip, but his sides… His chest… Aside from the slight curve where the bandages were at their thickest, it was all totally flat. He licked his lips, gently grazing his fingers over the surface of the bandages. More than anything, he was impatient, greedy. He wanted to tear the bandages off and see. He wanted to know what it looked like. But he knew from Doctor Camarena’s briefing yesterday that he needed to keep the bandages on, as tightly as possible, for a full four days. Usually for mundane patients it was a week, but with the power of the iratze rune, Cat had figured it would take less time. 

“What do you think?” Magnus asked, snapping Alec out of his reverie.

“‘Is good,” Alec whispered, and Manus breathed out a sigh of relief, making the mirror disappear once more. “Stele?”

Magnus put it between Alec’s fingers, and Alec winced at the pull at his incisions as he reached over his body to draw an iratze on his forearm. 

Immediately, Alec felt stronger, a little more lucid, though the pulling discomfort crept up on him quickly, too. He set his jaw, and Magnus frowned, soothing the throb with magic. Alec put his hand up, shaking his head.

“I wanna feel it.” Alec insisted, “I’m okay. It’s not so bad. Just… Weird.” 

“You’re sure?” 

“Yeah,” Alec swallowed hard. “Yeah, save your magic. Probably gonna need it later when these things start chafing.” He smiled weakly, and Magnus bent to kiss his forehead. 

“We’ll get you some more painkillers as soon as Cat gets here, alright?” Magnus promised, and Alec nodded. 

He looked at Magnus for a moment, then around at the curtains pulled around the bed. “What… Uh… What do I do now?” 

Magnus snorted, rolling his eyes. “You lie still, and focus on healing.” 

Alec wrinkled his nose. 

“You thought being put under was the scariest part?” Magnus teased, stroking the inside of Alec’s arm, “nope. The scariest part is gonna be lying in this bed for the next two weeks.” 

“Kill me now,” Alec groaned, turning his face to the side, and Magnus smiled fondly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Luke’s doing great, by the way. You know, considering he lost his family and now my Mom.” Clary said bitterly. The other Iron Sisters had just left Clary and Izzy alone with Cleophas in the gallery. Cleophas didn’t bat an eye at Clary’s words, and Izzy looked between the two women nervously. 

“Lucian is no longer any of my concern.” Cleophas stated, her eyes turned up to the ceiling. “The only thing that we need to discuss here today is the Soul Sword.” 

“Why does Valentine want it so badly?” Izzy asked before Clary could say anything else. She wanted this meeting over and done as quickly as possible; the sooner she got back home to Alec the better.

“When Raziel created the first shadowhunter, he armed him with the Soul Sword. It was meant to bring light to a dark world. It compels the truth, ensuring that the one who wields it always does so with pure intentions, but it also has another function.” Cleophas explained, pointing up at the ceiling.

There was a huge painted mural, an intricate image of Raziel in the middle with shadowhunters, mundanes and demons around the outside, meant to symbolise Earth society. 

“The Soul Sword is to be used as a last resort if the shadowhunters fail in their mission to protect mundanes from demons. If activated with an angelic power source, and wielded by one chosen by the angel, then it can wipe out all demonic creatures in its path.” 

“Demonic… You mean…”

“Downworlders.” Izzy said quietly. “It’s a biological weapon designed to slaughter downworlders.”

“Magical, not biological.” Cleophas pointed out. 

Clary shook her head. “So that’s why he’s been so careful to keep me alive. He needs me to activate the Soul Sword.” 

Cleophas frowned. “But you cannot wield the Sword. You do not fulfil the prophecy. I assumed…” 

“You assumed what? What prophecy?” Izzy demanded.

“I assumed that you were the one who came looking for answers. You are a Lightwood.” Cleophas said slowly.

“So she’s a Lightwood… What does that have to do with anything?” Clary asked.

Cleophas sighed. “The prophecy appeared in the hearts of the Iron Sisters twenty years ago, just before Valentine fell. It was a message of hope for the next generation, but then it was believed that he died in a fire. Until now we have kept it a secret, but now that Valentine has returned…”

“Just tell us the damn prophecy!” Izzy snapped. 

With a disapproving look, Cleophas recited the prophecy. “The eldest girl to illuminate the forest will drive away evil with the sword.”

“To illuminate the forest…” Clary repeated, looking at Izzy. “Do your parents know about this?!” 

“No-one except the Iron Sisters and the Consul knows of this prophecy. Unless the Lightwoods have been told without our permission.” Cleophas insisted. 

Izzy couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “And this appeared twenty years ago, exactly twenty years? Not nineteen?” 

“Twenty-one, actually, but I hardly see how that matters. You are the eldest Lightwood girl.” 

Clary and Izzy gave each other a grim look.

Izzy was nineteen. She wasn’t even conceived twenty-one years ago. At the time of the prophecy, Alec had been known as the eldest, and only, Lightwood girl. 

“We have to get back to the Institute and tell them that the Soul Sword is a possible weapon of mass destruction.” Clary said urgently, and Izzy nodded.

“It is only dangerous if Isabelle wields it.” Cleophas scoffed.

“I have angel blood too. Valentine injected into me when my mother was pregnant with me. Either one of us can wield the sword.” 

Cleophas’ eyes widened. “With the two of you… Valentine’s reach could extend across the entire country.” 

“We have to get back now.” Izzy pressed. 

With barely a goodbye to Cleophas and the rest of the Iron Sisters on their way out, Clary and Izzy made their way out of the Citadel and back down towards the standing portal. They waited until they were over the gated border before grasping at each others’ hands. 

“This is going to crush Alec.” Clary whispered, “we can’t tell him right now, can we? He just got out of surgery!”

“The last thing he needs is to be told that the Angel doesn’t respect his gender. I mean, not that he’d be surprised. I know I’m not. Not after the City of Bones.” Izzy muttered. She could tell that Alec was in discomfort. It wasn’t quite pain, but it wasn’t fun, either. He didn’t deserve this shit right now. “This is just so typical. Of course you’d gender the damn prophecy, and of course you’d pick the one openly transgender shadowhunter in the whole world. I mean, what else, right?!” 

Clary shook her head. “If I ever meet Raziel I swear I’m gonna spit on him.” 

“Get in line,” Izzy growled. They were nearing the standing portal, and Izzy checked her phone. “Magnus texted a few minutes ago saying Alec’s been discharged and is waiting for me in the Institute. Fuck, okay. Okay. We have to wait until Alec is healed up.”

“Should we tell the downworld leaders?” 

Izzy chewed the inside of her cheek. “I think… We should tell Aldertree about the sword. And not mention the prophecy. Not until we tell Alec.” 

“Okay, good call.” Clary nodded. “We’ll tell Alec when he’s better.” 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Oh God,” Alec gasped, his hand coming up to touch his bandages, the other still clutching his phone.

“What? Are you in pain? Did something burst?!” Magnus dropped the cup of coffee he’d been holding and scrambled over to the bed. They’d just managed to get Alec situated in his bed at the Institute, and Magnus had his doubts that the hard, lumpy mattress was doing him any good.

Alec raised his eyes from his phone to Magnus. “I was supposed to write a letter to my titties.” 

“You…? What?” Magnus asked, his eyebrows furrowing. 

“I’m reading this blog about recovering from top surgery and it has a part about what to do before surgery and apparently you’re supposed to write a letter to your titties saying goodbye and explaining why you have to break up with them, just in case you freak out and feel like you regret it.” 

“Okay…”

“Well, I didn’t do it!” Alec said, going to lift his arm to run his fingers through his hair and hissing in pain. 

Magnus took Alec’s hand and lowered it back down to his lap, and ran his own fingers through Alec’s hair, instead. “Well, do you regret it? Do you miss them?” 

Alec wrinkled his nose. “No, are you crazy?”

Magnus snorted. “Well, then.” 

“Yeah, you’re right.” Alec sighed, closing his eyes. “I’m okay.” 

“You’re doing great.” 

Alec smiled at him, and puckered his lips for a kiss. Magnus leaned in and gently kissed him, his thumb caressing Alec’s cheek. 

“You taste like mac and cheese feels.” Alec hummed, his eyes still closed.

“That vicodin kicking in, angel?” 

“Mmmmm.” 

Magnus laughed, magicking the mug he’d dropped back together and refilling it with the spilled coffee. “I’m gonna keep a diary of all the things you say in the next two days.” 

Alec opened one eye to glare at him. “I’ll deny everything.”

A knock at the door made both of them look up, and Magnus straightened up when he saw that it was Maryse sticking her head around the door. He anticipated that she’d be mad that Magnus had forgotten to call her, but she just looked relieved to see Alec awake as she came into the room, shutting the door behind her. 

“You’re awake.” 

“Maryse, I’m sorry I didn’t call.” Magnus said quietly.

“Isabelle kept me updated, no harm done,” Maryse insisted, sitting on the bed at Alec’s side. “How are you feeling, baby?” 

Alec shrugged, and the movement made him hiss. “Sore. But happy.” 

“That’s good,” Maryse smiled, running her thumb over his cheek. “You need anything? I’m all yours for the next 24 hours, anything you need.” 

“Ummm…” Alec looked up at Magnus, who grabbed his jacket from the chair he’d been sitting in next to Alec’s bed.

“I’ll go, it’s okay. I can come back tomorrow.” Magnus assured him. 

“Thank you for looking after me and coming with me. I lo-” Alec clapped his hand over his mouth, which just made his slip-up all the more obvious. Magnus’ wide eyes darted to Maryse, who shifted uncomfortably. 

Magnus smiled, meeting Alec’s eyes. His heart was beating so hard he swore it was about to crack his ribs. “Any time, Alexander. I’ll see you tomorrow.” 

Alec nodded, his cheeks scarlet. 

Maryse averted her eyes when Magnus bent to kiss Alec’s forehead, giving him a curt nod when he straightened up to leave. 

“You look like you just sucked a lemon.” Alec observed once Magnus was gone.

“I’m trying, Alec,” Maryse sighed, “but you have to understand that it’s strange for me. I came to terms with the fact that you were a man and that you were going to date women. That was something big for me. And now…” 

“I’m sure it must have been really confusing for you,” Alec muttered sarcastically. “It was super easy for me.” 

Maryse looked up at the ceiling, pursing her lips. “Alec, don’t do this now.” 

“Why are you here?” 

Maryse’s gaze snapped down to his face. “Because, as difficult as it is for you and Isabelle to believe, I love you and I want to make sure that you’re safe. I don’t understand what I did to make you think otherwise.” 

Alec closed his eyes, turning his face from her. “You really…” He felt his throat close up, “you’ve got no fucking clue what damage you did, do you?” 

He was relieved to hear another knock on the door, and smiled to see Izzy and Clary. Izzy didn’t look too happy to see Maryse, but she rushed to Alec’s side nevertheless and took his hand. Clary hovered in the doorway, not wanting to intrude on the moment. It was a big day for Alec, and she didn’t want to trigger any guilt in him if he saw her. 

“How are you feeling?” Izzy asked, her eyes checking him over.

“I’m really tired,” Alec admitted, “but doped up to fuck, so it’s all good.” 

Izzy smiled slightly. “Yeah, bet you’re floating right now, huh?” 

“Mmmmm… Mostly I just wanna sleep.” 

“Then you should sleep, baby.” Maryse told him, and he glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. 

“Mom, I appreciate what you’re trying to do, but I don’t want you here right now. I don’t need the tension.” Alec answered, “it’s not good for me. Can you go?” 

The hurt on Maryse’s face was obvious, and Alec felt the urge to shove his own fist in his mouth, but Izzy squeezed his hand in support. 

“If that’s what you want,” she said after a long moment. “I love you, Alec.” She got up and ran her fingers through his hair before walking quickly out of the room, her head down as she passed Clary. 

“What are you doing out there, asshole?” Alec asked Clary, “get in here.” 

Clary snorted and sat opposite Izzy on the bed. “You’re gonna be extra mean in the next few days, hmm?” 

“It freaks you out when I’m nice to you.”

“That is true,” Clary admitted. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When Magnus got back to his apartment, he found Cat and Ragnor sitting on his couch, poring over a huge parchment scroll spread out on Magnus’ coffee table. 

“Shouldn’t you be at home? Sleeping?” Magnus asked Cat when she looked up to say hello. “You just got out of work.” 

“It was only ten hours,” Cat shrugged.

Magnus snorted and headed over to his drinks cart. Cat and Ragnor shared a foreboding look as Magnus opened the little doors to find it empty. “You couldn’t have drunk my entire cart.” 

“Well, given the circumstances, Junior, we thought it best to…” 

Magnus turned to look at them. “I’m not a child, Ragnor.”

“No, you’re not. But you do tend to deal with certain emotions by drowning them in booze. And neither of us want to see you get hurt.” 

“Again,” Cat supplied. “You and Alec are just starting out in this relationship, and you know what happens when you start drinking heavily.” 

Magnus crossed his arms, a mixture of embarrassment, relief and anger making him feel almost sick. “I’m fine.”

“You are not fine,” Ragnor replied evenly, “you just dealt with Camille less than a week ago and you’ve thrown yourself into looking after a man you’ve been dating for a hot minute and the first thing you do after coming home is go to mix yourself a drink. You are not fine.” 

“Maybe you should start going to meetings again, Magnus.” Cat got up, approaching him to rub his shoulder. “You know you got a lot out of them before.” 

“It’s not like last time.” Magnus insisted, “it’s not like I’m waking up halfway across the world with no memory, is it?!” 

Ragnor sighed. “You trust us, don’t you?” 

Cat fixed him with a penetrating look, and he glanced away. 

“Yes,” he replied after a moment. 

“Then trust that we’re only doing what’s best. And please don’t conjure more after we’ve left. At least not tonight.” Cat entreated, and Magnus nodded. “Thank you.”

Ragnor relaxed a little. “Right. Good.”

“How’s Madzie and the others?” Magnus asked Ragnor. Ragnor was very good with memory magic, and had been working on Iris’ victims to try and help them remember their lives before the rogue warlock got her hands on them. 

“Madzie is absolutely fine, as are the babies. They’re in a safehouse down in Florida until Iris is caught. And I’ve managed to reunite three of the mundane women with their families. Sarah is having a little trouble readjusting; she’d been with Iris for eight years, so I’m taking it a little more slowly with her, but she’ll get there. She made a cake, actually, it’s in the kitchen.” 

Magnus smiled slightly. “That’s very sweet of her.” 

“They’re all doing great,” Cat assured him, and he nodded. “But right now we’re working on Ragnor’s problem.” 

“What’s this?” Magnus magicked a chocolate milkshake into his hands, which had Cat and Ragnor looking at him suspiciously. “It’s just a milkshake!”

Cat held out her hand, and Magnus rolled his eyes, handing it to her to have the first taste. She took a sip, and hummed, giving it back to him. “Nice. From Joe’s?” 

“Where else?” 

“Anyway,” Ragnor said pointedly as Magnus sat down next to him, “this is my list of all the students I had who are still alive. We’re trying to narrow down who could be handing the Clave their fake evidence.” 

“There’s a lot of them.” Magnus observed. 

“We already got rid of the Lightwood siblings, Raj and some other pro-downworlder families. It has to be someone with a strong connection to the Clave.” Cat explained, sitting on Magnus’ other side and leaning over to look more closely at the list.

“They’re all related to each other so that won’t narrow it down too much,” Magnus muttered. “Why not start at the top of the Clave and work backwards? Who’s the Inquisitor who signed the warrant for your arrest?” 

Ragnor looked impressed. “That’s very sensible. I’m not sure who gave the order, but I’m sure I can get Isabelle to find out.” 

“That’s where I’d start,” Magnus shrugged. “I’d love to stay and help you narrow it down some more, but I have to organise a meet with the Seelie Queen and the other leaders. No doubt it’ll be like pulling teeth.” 

“About Aldertree?” Cat guessed.

“Mmmm. After what happened to Raphael, we need to be working together. If we’re united then he won’t mess with us.” 

“Good luck trying to get Luke and Raphael at the same table,” Ragnor huffed, “those two are impossible, you remember my birthday two years ago.” 

“Don’t remind me,” Magnus groaned. “I’m hoping that Luke will be more open to co-operation now that Valentine is back in play. And since Raphael has seen first hand what Aldertree is capable of…” 

“The hardest part will be the Seelie Queen.” Cat sighed, “she doesn’t give a shit about anything that happens up here. All her people can retreat back to her little piece of paradise at a moment’s notice.” 

Magnus nodded, banishing his empty glass into the kitchen sink. “Which is why I’m going to call her personally, and if that doesn’t work, I’ll have to go down to the seelie realm myself.”

“I’ll accompany you, if you’d like. The Seelie Queen and I have a fairly good relationship.” Ragnor volunteered.

“That would actually be very helpful, thanks.” Magnus admitted, raising his hand to conjure a glass of whiskey before remembering his promise to Cat. Instead, he sent a pulse of magic to the kettle in the kitchen, putting it to boil. “Anyone else want coffee?” 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When Alec woke up, it was dark, and he was in a fair bit of pain. He groaned softly, reaching for his stele with his eyes still closed. 

“I got it, baby, don’t get up.” Maryse said softly, her hand curling around his shoulder. 

Alec just hummed, too tired to argue, and cracked his eyes open to watch his mother refresh the iratze on his wrist in the light from the lamp on his nightstand. “Where’s Izzy and Clary?”

“They went to bed. I insisted they get some sleep. If they’re going to look after you tomorrow they’ll need their energy.” Maryse answered. “Open up, it’s time for your meds.” 

Alec opened his mouth and let Maryse drop the tablets onto his tongue. She put a straw to his mouth and he gulped the tablets down gratefully. “Thanks.” 

Maryse smiled slightly, smoothing his hair back from his face. “I’m sorry, Alec.” 

“Mom…”

“I know that nothing I can say makes up for the way I made you and Izzy feel. For such a long time, I was so scared of what the Clave was going to do to the two of you, I took it all out on you instead of putting my frustration towards the people who really deserved it. I’m sorry.” 

“Mom, I just got out of surgery,” Alec murmured, “I’m tired.” 

Maryse nodded, sucking her lower lip into her mouth. “I know. I just… I hate that you and Izzy are so…” 

“We’ve got plenty of time to fix it.” Alec assured her, “just… Be here for us. Please?” 

“I will always be here for you.” Maryse promised, her voice hushed. “And Izzy, too. I love you so much. I-I...” She took in a shaky breath. “I never said it enough. Not nearly enough.” 

Alec sighed, his eyes feeling heavy. “We got time.” 

“Sleep, baby,” Maryse soothed, tugging the blanket up to the bottom of Alec’s bandages. “Magnus will be here when you wake up, he said he’s coming after breakfast.” 

Alec suddenly felt a little more awake. “He called?” 

“Mmmm, a little while ago. He was going to watch you overnight, but I said I had it covered.” 

Alec looked at her a little suspiciously, and Maryse shook her head. 

“I don’t understand how it happened, but… He cares about you. And…” She wiped away a tear from the corner of her eye. “I’m so relieved that you have somebody so powerful looking out for you. But Alec… He could so easily hurt you, too.” 

“Magnus could never hurt me.” Alec insisted. 

“I’m so scared about what this means for you, Alec.” 

Alec reached out for her hand and squeezed it. “It means I’m gonna be happy, Mom. That’s all it has to mean.” 

Maryse choked out a small laugh. “I wish I had your optimism.” 

“Mmmm…” Alec smiled. “I love him so much.” 

“I know,” Maryse whispered, shaking her head a little. “I want it to work out for you. I do.” 

“Promise?”

“I promise.” 

Alec shifted a little, trying to get comfortable. “Good. I’m gonna sleep now.”

Maryse smiled. “You’d better. I need to have a good cry.”

Alec snorted, and promptly fell asleep.

Right as Maryse’s lip began to wobble, Izzy burst into the room, her eyes wide. 

“The Citadel has been breached. An Iron Sister is dead.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really flagging at the moment, honestly. I'm going through a tough time irl and I think I'm going to finish Episode 7 today or tomorrow but I have no idea how long Episode 8 will take, so brace yourself for what might be a longer wait between 7 and 8. I'll keep you all updated on twitter though - @harryshumsbitch
> 
> Also, pretty soon I'll have to begin planning 2b if I'm going to continue with this universe, so please let me know if you want to see this verse continued to 2b and beyond! If the interest isn't there then I'm not sure I'll commit to it


	7. Episode 7: How Are Thou Fallen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this episode is actually a lot of peoples' least favourite because of the rampant homophobia in the way it was shot - so to compensate I made this the queerest chapter yet, with lots of malec and sapphic goodness!
> 
> I already have 8 ready to go so I can confirm that chapters 8, 9 and 10 will all be posted on schedule. I may even post 9 and 10 in a double bill, watch this space!
> 
> Trigger warnings!
> 
> Sexual tension: Malec want in each other’s pants and make out heavily in a photo booth, and then they go home and make out heavily on the balcony.
> 
> Reference to alcoholism: Malec briefly talk about Magnus’ progress in giving up drinking.
> 
> Self-destructive tendencies/non-sexual masochism?: Alec talks about how he likes the residual pain from surgery, because it reminds him of the fact that his breasts are gone.
> 
> Mild sexual content: Alec is handsy as hell. Nothing naked actually happens.
> 
> Self hatred: Magnus really doesn’t believe that he deserves Alec, and Alec talks him through those feelings.
> 
> Furry mocking: Claiabelle make fun of furries. Sorry if any of my readers are furries lmao
> 
> Grief: Luke isn’t doing so good. He looks bad, and the stress of Cleophas rejoining the Circle isn’t helping. Clary insists on being there for him.
> 
> Injury: As in canon, Cleophas is injured. It’s not described in detail.
> 
> Violence: Clary tases Luke, as in canon. Valentine holds the soul sword to Cleophas’ throat. Maia fights a bunch of Circle members in wolf form, and Clary and Izzy use their seraph blades to kill some Circle members too. It’s not described in detail.
> 
> Guns: Luke has a gun, but as in canon, he doesn’t hurt anyone with it.
> 
> Racism: Valentine hurls racist (as in downworlder) language at Luke.

Clary felt like she could barely remember how to walk. She felt so tired she could’ve passed out on the spot, leaning on the wall as she made her way from ops to Izzy’s room. 

It had been a long two weeks. Almost as soon as she and Izzy had gotten back from the Citadel, the wards around the holy city had been breached, and an Iron Sister had been killed. Cleophas, Luke’s sister, had disappeared without a trace, and the Clave was convinced that Valentine had snatched her. 

All shadowhunters had been called up to comb their jurisdictions for any signs of Valentine or Cleophas, and the Clave had been heavy on the pressure with the New York Institute, considering that Valentine’s ex-parabatai and daughter were located there. And since Alec was out of commission, it had fallen on the rest of them to pick up the slack. Luckily, Aldertree had allowed Izzy to take up field missions again, but still. Clary had spent the last twelve hours wandering the city with Lydia, looking for signs of Circle activity. 

Needless to say, there’d been nothing. 

Clary could feel a stress headache coming on, and she walked a little faster, desperate to curl up in her girlfriends’ arms and go to sleep. The headache intensified until it felt like a scream in her head, and she stopped dead in the hallway, clutching her forehead as the screech became audible, hurting her ears as well as her skull. 

“Clary?” Izzy clutched at her shoulders, her eyebrows furrowing. 

The screaming receded, and Clary straightened up, squeezing her eyes shut and then opening them again. “Ow, fuck.” She whispered, and Izzy steered her into her room. 

“You were shouting, what’s wrong?” 

“I had… I heard a voice. A scream.” Clary murmured, massaging her forehead. “It’s gone now.” 

“A scream?” Izzy repeated, guiding Clary to sit down on the bed. “Should we cancel dinner later? Maia will understand.” 

“No, no, I’ll be fine. I think I’m just exhausted.” Clary assured her, “I need to sleep.” 

Izzy hummed in agreement. “Yeah, if it happens again, we’ll ask Magnus for advice, hmm?” 

“Don’t disturb him, he and Alec need this.” Clary tutted, lying down to wriggle out of her trousers. 

“True,” Izzy smiled slightly, “I think if we called them back to the Institute now he’d kill us in our sleep.” 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Are you sure you’re okay to walk?” Magnus checked, “I don’t want you to push yourself too hard.” 

Alec beamed at him, tugging him a little faster. “No, God, I’m fine, Magnus, I swear. I need this. I’ve been stuck in that damn Institute for two weeks, let me have this.” 

“If you feel any pain…”

“Magnus!” Alec laughed, lifting their joined hands to his mouth to kiss Magnus’ knuckles. “I’m fine. Really.” 

Magnus sighed, and smiled. “Okay, okay. Just checking. How’d you like the sushi?” 

“It was amazing. I have no idea what I just put in my mouth, but it tasted amazing, so I don’t care.” He insisted, slowing down to look at a street vendor making steamed buns. “Everything smells so good.” 

Magnus watched Alec take in the wonders of Tokyo, warm and soft inside. He’d been looking forward to taking Alec out again, and this time Alec had insisted on going somewhere far away, somewhere different. So, Tokyo. “I’m glad you like it here. Some people find it a little intense.” 

“Nah, I grew up in New York. I’m comfortable in cramped, loud places,” Alec teased, his thumb slipping over the back of Magnus’ hand. 

“And the neon lights, bet you feel right at home.”

“Exactly,” Alec shrugged, a photo booth catching his eye. “Oh, man, is it pathetic that I really wanna do this? Do you have change?” 

Magnus let Alec pull him over to the photo booth, conjuring a handful of 500 yen coins from one of the notes he had in his wallet. Alec slotted one into the machine and pushed through the curtain. 

“You know, this is the first time I’ve ever been in a photo booth.” Magnus smiled, squeezing in next to Alec. 

Alec’s eyes lit up. “Really?” 

“There aren’t many things I can say I’ve never done before, but this is one of them.” Magnus chuckled, “how should we… Pose?” 

“Oh shit, we should have thought this through.” Alec snorted, focussing on the screen. For a minute. “God no, we are not doing the weird filter thing.” 

Magnus laughed, slinging his arm around Alec’s shoulders as he picked the ‘no effect’ option, and leaned back a little. Alec rested his head on his shoulder as the first flash went off, and Magnus pulled back a little so they were looking at each other, which made Alec smile for the second one. 

“Your hair is wonky,” Alec noticed, reaching up to fix it, but Magnus made a teasing huffy noise, flinching pointedly as the third flash went off, and Alec cupped his face on the last one, kissing his temple. 

“See,” Magnus brandished the little strip of photos, “we’re adorable.” 

“Whoa, look how flat my chest looks,” Alec marvelled, looking more closely at the pictures.

“Well, it is flat now.” Magnus reminded him, and Alec smiled. 

“Can we do it again?” He asked, taking off his jacket. 

This time, Magnus leaned forward a little and had Alec lean on his back, and Magnus was having the time of his life making funny faces, but when the photos came out Alec was just beaming like he could barely contain himself, and Magnus kissed him on the cheek. 

“You’re so cute. You wanna do some kissing ones?” Magnus asked, tilting his head to the side, and Alec wiggled his eyebrows, leaning past Magnus to put another coin in the machine before reaching for the other man’s waist. 

It was less nerve-wracking now, kissing Magnus. It still made Alec shiver, and he always got a little too into it, but he didn’t feel like his stomach was about to crawl out of his throat everytime Magnus touched him now, which was great. By the time the fourth flash went off, Alec’s cheeks felt hot, and Magnus’ eyes were very dark. Alec gulped, and lifted his hand from where it had wandered to the top of Magnus’ thigh. 

“Sorry,” Alec whispered, biting his lip to keep from grinning. 

“I’m not,” Magnus replied, and Alec huffed out a laugh, stealing one more quick kiss. 

“We should get out of here. As hot for you as I am, I don’t want my first time to be in a tiny photo booth in Japan.” 

Magnus chuckled, getting to his feet and tucking the three strips of photos into his inside jacket pocket. “I think that’s more than reasonable, angel.” He held out his hand for Alec, and they walked on. “Hmmm… You fancy some ice cream?” 

“Yeah, sounds nice. As long as you don’t order me anything weird like wasabi flavour.” Alec smirked. He tugged his wallet out of his back pocket and brought out a $10 bill. “Can you change this into yen? I wanna look in the gift shop,” he requested, inclining his head across the road to a cute little knick-knack shop. 

“Sure,” Magnus shrugged, replacing the $10 with 1500 yen. 

Alec narrowed his eyes. “You sure that’s right?” 

“Would you rather be carrying hundreds of Japanese coins around in your wallet?” 

“You spoil me,” Alec accused, kissing Magnus on the lips. 

Magnus gave his hand a little squeeze. “You make me happy.” 

Pulling away before Alec could start gushing, he made his way across the street and into the gift shop, leaving Magnus to get them some ice creams. He didn’t know if he could handle another round of Magnus speaking flawless Japanese. It was so impressive how he flitted between different languages without breaking a sweat, and yes, it was mostly a translation spell, but Alec really didn’t need anymore ammunition for his ginormous crush on his boyfriend. He was so smart. And dreamy. And really good at kissing... 

“God…” Alec whispered, rubbing his hand down his face. 

“Hello!” The shopkeeper piped up as Alec walked through the door, and Alec smiled at her. 

“Hello.”

“Do you need help looking?” She asked.

“Uhh… Maybe.” Alec admitted, crossing to the counter where she was standing. “I want a gift, for a...” 

She smiled wryly at him, and wagged her finger. “Boyfriend. I saw you in the window. Don’t be shy.” 

“Alright, yes.” Alec shrugged, “boyfriend.” 

“My daughter is gay,” she explained in a slightly hushed voice, taking Alec’s arm and leading him over to one of the display cases. “It was strange, at first. But she’s very cute with her girlfriend.” 

Alec laughed. “That’s nice.” 

“You and your boyfriend, you’re very cute too. I have just the thing.” She picked up a shiny red square of silk, embroidered with gold and black flowers, with white Japanese script down the middle. “This is an omamori. It brings luck and protection.” 

She put it in Alec’s hand, and he turned it over, looking at it. “It’s perfect,” he smiled. “Thank you. How much is it?” 

“It’s…” She tapped her forehead for a moment. “Two thousand, five hundred yen.” 

Alec sighed. “Could you take dollars? I’d love to buy it.” 

“I can take dollars, yes.” 

“Great, then I’ll take it! I have 1,500 yen, and then $10?” 

She led him back over to the till, and got out a calculator. 

“Oh, no, you can keep the change, or it’ll be complicated.” Alec insisted. 

“You’re a good boy.” She smiled, putting the omamori charm in a gift bag with some tissue paper. “I hope you have a lovely trip.” 

“Have a nice night,” Alec nodded, scooping up the bag and going out to meet Magnus, who was waiting just outside with two ice-creams. 

“I got chocolate, I hope that’s not too exotic for my favourite white boy.” Magnus teased, and Alec huffed playfully, taking his cone from Magnus. 

“Alright, sassy pants, which one of us was too chicken to put wasabi on his sushi?” 

“You did that out of ignorance of how hot real Japanese wasabi actually is, not bravery.” 

“Okay, true,” Alec allowed.

“What’d you get?” Magnus asked, and Alec tapped the side of his nose. “Oh?” 

“It’s a secret.” 

“Fair enough” Magnus shrugged, though his curiosity was piqued. 

“How are you holding up? Cat mentioned that you’d decided to stop drinking for a while.” Alec thought perhaps his change of subject could’ve been a little smoother, but it did its job of distracting Magnus. 

“Oh, she… Mentioned it.” 

“She was saying how great you were doing with it, and I noticed you didn’t order sake or anything with dinner.” 

Magnus smiled slightly. “In the past I’ve tended to distract myself from unfavourable memories with alcohol, but now I have a much nicer distraction. And with my burgeoning relationship with your mother, I don’t want to make a fool of myself at the Hunter’s Moon and have it getting back to her.” 

“Burgeoning relationship?” Alec asked, quirking his eyebrow. 

“We talked a little while you were recovering,” Magnus explained. “She actually talks to me as if I’m sort of a human being now, which is… Huge.” 

Alec smiled. “Yeah?” 

“Mmmm. She’s trying, I think. It’s nice.” 

“I think we talked about it when I was off my face on pain meds, but it’s a little fuzzy.” Alec murmured, rubbing his forehead. 

“You said a lot of things when you were off your face on pain meds,” Magnus said smugly, and Alec narrowed his eyes at him. 

“Like what?” 

Magnus shrugged, though his eyes were glittering with something intent. “Nothing but nice things, I promise.” 

“No, you can’t just leave it at that.” Alec whined.

“You told me you liked my hands. Like… Four times.”

“Oh, God.” 

“It was cute!” 

“Please tell me that my mother wasn’t there for that.” Alec groaned.

“She wasn’t, but Izzy was.” 

Alec tilted his head back and prayed half-heartedly for death. “I’m surprised she hasn’t started the merciless teasing.” 

“Well, she filmed some of it.” 

“Nooo…” Alec pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’m gonna have to smash her phone.” 

Magnus hummed, pulling his phone out of his pocket. “It’s already been sent to me and Clary.” 

Alec’s eyes widened. “Gimme your phone.”

“Not a chance!” Magnus snorted, putting it behind his back when Alec reached for it. “It’s already gotten me through at least two bad days, it makes me so happy.” 

Alec grumbled a little, but relented. “If it makes you smile…”

“It does,” Magnus assured him, slipping his phone back into his pocket and taking Alec’s hand. “You always make me smile, Alexander.” 

“Have you really had a bunch of bad days, though?” Alec asked, finishing off his ice-cream. 

Magnus shrugged. “Part of me is still rattled after seeing Camille again.” 

Alec nodded, putting his arm around Magnus’ waist as they walked. “It must be really hard. I’m sorry.” 

“I’ll get over it.” Magnus assured him, leaning into Alec’s body. For a moment, they were both quiet, and Magnus tossed the rest of his ice cream in the nearest trash can. “You wanna head back to the loft?” 

“Yeah, that’d be nice. It’s getting kinda cold.” He looked down at his chest, and smiled. “Hey, look. No super obvious nipple erection.” 

Magnus laughed. “Is it weird, not having to wear a binder anymore?”

“Not as weird as you’d think,” Alec shrugged. “The weirdest part is the random boob pain, and going to pet it and it not being there.” 

“Yeah, that must be disconcerting.” 

“It’s kinda nice, actually.” Alec admitted. “It’s a reminder of what I freed myself from, and I like that. Is that masochistic?” 

Magnus shook his head in wonder. “It is, actually, but I don’t know why I expected anything less.” 

Alec shrugged, letting Magnus pull him into an alleyway to cast his portal. “Pain is like a reminder of the stuff you endured to get where you are now. Like after a really hard workout. You know you made a difference to your body.” 

“Alright, I can see that.” Magnus admitted, “but I hope you’re not skipping out on painkillers for it.” 

“Cross my heart,” Alec assured him as they stepped through the portal together, checking his watch. “Speaking of which…” 

“You want some water?” Magnus offered, conjuring a glass into his hand. 

Alec nodded, putting the pill on his tongue and gulping it back with the water. “Thanks. The scars were starting to pull a bit. But at least I’m only on paracetamol now, so no more drowsiness or ridiculous rambling.”

“I don’t know, I was getting fond of your rambling,” Magnus smiled, putting the glass down on the coffee table.

“I know of at least one way to get me all boneless and rambling.” Alec reminded him, trying to sound alluring but probably just sounding a bit embarrassed. 

Magnus smirked. “Oh?” 

“Oh, wait,” Alec lifted the gift bag in his hand. “Gift first. Then making out.” 

“Glad to know you’ve got your priorities right, angel. It’s really for me?” Magnus asked, rummaging in the gift bag. His fingers closed around something made of silk, and he tossed the gift bag aside as he examined the scarlet charm.

“It’s a charm. It brings luck and protection. The lady in the shop called it an omamori.” 

Magnus smiled, his thumb brushing over the embroidered pattern. “It’s usually given to pregnant mothers.” 

“It is?” Alec’s face fell a little. “She said-”

“Not always, but usually,” Magnus assured him, his hand slipping around the back of Alec’s neck. “Thank you, Alexander. I’ll treasure it always.” He pulled Alec down into a soft kiss, rubbing their noses together. “You continue to surprise me.”

“In good ways, I hope.” 

Magnus chuckled, slipping the omamori into his pocket and bringing both arms to rest on Alec’s shoulders. “In the best ways.” 

Alec hummed, squeezing Magnus’ waist before slipping his hands down a little lower, his fingers tentatively tugging Magnus’ shirt looser where it was tucked into his pants. “Do you wanna sit on the balcony for a while?” 

“That’d be nice.” 

Ten minutes later, Magnus was straddling Alec where he sat on the balcony couch, kissing him fiercely. Alec’s hands were enthusiastically kneading his ass, and he was sure the younger man had left at least one impressive hickey on his neck. He slipped forward a little on Alec’s lap, raking his fingers through his hair, and Alec groaned so loudly that it made the hairs on Magnus’ arms stand up. He pulled back, breathing hard, and licked his lips.

“Do you think I could take off my shirt?” Magnus asked, fingers lifting to fiddle with the buttons. 

Alec cleared his throat, his cheeks pink. “Uh… Won’t you get cold?” 

Magnus’s eyes slipped shut, and he laughed fondly. He opened his mouth to tell Alec that he loved him, but swallowed it down and shook his head instead. “I’m sure you’ll think of a way to warm me up, angel.” 

“Can I put my hands down the back of your pants? Not in your underwear or anything, just…” 

“You can touch whatever you want to,” Magnus teased, his fingers working quickly to undo the buttons of his shirt. 

Alec licked his lips, unbuckling Magnus’ belt so he could fit his hands underneath the material of his trousers, squeezing his ass. 

“Should’ve known you’d be an ass man,” Magnus sighed, shucking off his shirt. 

“For the record, your pecs are amazing too.” Alec murmured. His eyes were fixed on Magnus’ chest, and he leaned forward to nip at the firm muscles there. “I sometimes forget that you’re cis. First time I saw you shirtless I almost asked you who your surgeon was.” 

Magnus chuckled, his hands rounding Alec’s shoulders. “That’s cute.” 

“Magnus,” Alec tilted his head back, squirming a bit. “Can I… Return the favour from the night before top surgery?” 

“You just had surgery two weeks ago, is it a good idea to-”

“I really wanna jerk you off.” Alec blurted out. 

Magnus swallowed hard, sucking his lower lip into his mouth. There was something about Alec that made him so nervous. He wanted every first to be perfect, he wanted to be perfect for him. 

“We don’t have to if you don’t want to, I can go…”

“No, that’s not it.” Magnus insisted, climbing off Alec’s lap to sit next to him. “I’m just… Nervous.” 

“Nervous?” Alec repeated, his eyebrow arching. 

Magnus felt like he was blushing. “It’s a lot of pressure. This is your first time, I’m worried that if we rush into this stuff, I might… Lose you.” 

Alec frowned, shifting around a little. “Magnus, that’s ridiculous. Even if you were the worst person in the whole world at the sex stuff, I’d still want you. I don’t mean to make this a big deal, it doesn’t have to be. I promise. It really, really doesn’t have to matter. I mean, Christ, you barely got going that night, and I was done. Over. Gone. And yeah, I mean, it was a little embarrassing that I just nutted like that out of nowhere, but… I feel safe with you.” He smiled, taking Magnus’ hand and kissing his palm. “I want you to feel safe with me, too.” 

“I do, Alexander.” Magnus assured him. He searched for the words for a moment, his eyes staring into Alec’s. “Sex has meant nothing to me for a long time. And I haven’t been… Present? I haven’t been intimate with anyone like that, it hasn’t been… Meaningful, in what feels like forever. And I’m a little…” He chuckled nervously, scratching his chin. “I guess I’m a little scared of what it’ll mean.”

“You’re scared to let me in,” Alec guessed. Magnus sighed, nodding. “Magnus,” Alec cupped his cheek, his thumb brushing Magnus’ eyebrow, “you know that I’m serious about you, don’t you? You know that I meant every word I rambled when I was off my tits on narcotics?” 

“That makes it worse,” Magnus admitted quietly. 

Alec’s eyebrows furrowed. “Why is that worse?” 

“Because…” Magnus chewed the inside of his cheek. “I’m not completely convinced I deserve you.” 

“You..? What? Magnus, that’s crazy.” 

Magnus’ shoulders crept up to his ears. 

“Magnus…” Alec pulled him in close, scooping his legs into his lap. Magnus took the opportunity to push his face into Alec’s neck. “Magnus, that is literally the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. You are amazing. You’re so good to everyone around you and you never expect anything back. You’re so diligent, and clever, and skilled. You’re everything that I ever dreamed of in a partner, how could you ever think that you don’t deserve happiness?” He kissed the top of Magnus’ head. “Don’t ever think that.” 

Magnus felt guilty for making Alec think that he was a good person, but he didn’t dare say anything. If Alec knew the truth, about his past, his parentage, his core…

“You mean the world to me, Magnus.” Alec said softly, rubbing his cheek into Magnus’ hair. “And I hope that one day, I’ll manage to convince you that you’re worth happiness. That you deserve it. But…” He rubbed Magnus’ arm. “I’m glad you were honest with me, it means a lot.” 

“There are so many things you don’t know about me, Alec.” Magnus reminded him. “So many terrible things…” 

“None of them matter.” 

“You don’t know that.”

“Yes, I do.” Alec insisted. “Maybe you’re right, maybe there are things in your past that are bad. Maybe terrible. But the man I know now is good.”

“Not good enough to make up for-”

“Life isn’t a trial, Magnus.” Alec soothed, and Magnus looked up at him. “It’s not about weighing the good against the bad and passing judgement. It’s about improving, it’s about learning from your mistakes and moving on. Life is a journey, and none of us get very far if all we’re doing is looking over our shoulders.” 

Magnus frowned. “You didn’t come up with that on the spot.”

“Well, no,” Alec admitted, smiling a little. “It’s the speech Ragnor gave me when I came out to him and was guilting myself about what it would mean for my family.”

Magnus’ eyes misted, and he chuckled. “Of course it is.” 

“It’s true, though.” 

“Mmmmm. It is.” Magnus allowed, wrapping his hands around Alec’s waist and letting his head rest in the crook of Alec’s neck.

“Did it… Work?” 

Magnus laughed softly, nuzzling into Alec’s shirt. “Yes, angel, it did.” 

Alec sighed in relief, rubbing Magnus’ back. “Good, ‘cause that is literally the only wise advice I have.” 

Magnus closed his eyes, and basked in Alec’s love. Because that’s what it was. 

Love.

He believed that now.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“So how long have you guys been dating?” Maia asked, stirring her coffee.

“About two or three months?” Clary answered, looking at Izzy to check. 

“Yeah, about that. I don’t know, time feels weird when you’re at war.”

“It’s good that you guys have each other at a time like this,” Maia nodded, lifting her cup to her mouth. “No-one wants to date with Valentine running around the city. It sucks.” 

Izzy smiled slightly. “I find it hard to believe that you’re struggling to find dates.”

“Well, believe it, because it’s the truth!” 

“How do you meet people in the downworld?” Clary asked, squeezing some ketchup onto her burger. “Is there, like… Werewolf tinder?” 

Maia snorted, and Izzy giggled, the two of them sharing a knowing look. 

“Sort of. I mean, most of us just use tinder or grindr or whatever. There’s just code-words that people in the shadow world know.” Izzy explained. “Silver-blooded for shadowhunters, blue-blooded for vampires, green-blooded for Seelies, purple-blooded for warlocks and…”

“Don’t say it!” Maia grumbled.

“Werewolves just say they’re furries.” 

“No!” Clary brought her hand up to her mouth.

“We do not,” Maia insisted, stealing one of Izzy’s onion rings in revenge. “There’s the one guy in the pack, Russell, who also happens to be a furry. Izzy matched with him on accident once and she won’t let it go. I have literally been unable to look him in the eye since.” 

Clary and Izzy were already laughing hysterically. 

“No, no, you left out the best part.” Izzy reminded her, and Maia grinned, scratching at her forehead.

“Russell asked me and Luke for permission to turn a couple of his furry friends.” 

“Oh my God, what did you say?!” Clary demanded.

Maia shook her head. “Obviously no. The rest of the shadow world already fetishizes us enough, we don’t need fursuit sex parties in the back room of the Jade Wolf.”

“God, please, don’t even joke about it. I don’t want Luke even knowing what a furry is.” Clary groaned. 

“Oh, he knows.” Maia insisted.

Clary covered her ears, and Maia and Izzy laughed. 

“Hey, Luke’s a foxy dude, babe. He’s definitely been around the block a few times.” Izzy pointed out, and both Maia and Clary’s noses wrinkled. “I’m just saying! He’s a good-looking guy!” 

“Maybe you should date him instead,” Clary teased, and Izzy huffed, rolling her eyes a little. “Speaking of dating… How long were you guys together? You seem to still be pretty good friends.”

“Uhh… We weren’t really… Dating,” Maia smirked, and Clary quirked her eyebrow, glancing at Izzy, whose cheeks were a little pink. 

“Yeah, we were just friends with benefits, and we sort of lost track of each other when stuff started getting busy with the pack and the Institute.” Izzy explained, smiling at Maia. “We had a good time together, that’s all.” 

Clary hummed, feeling a little warm. She reached for her soda and gulped it down, looking at the way Maia and Izzy were looking at each other. Jealousy was probably understandable, but Clary didn’t feel the same way she had about Meliorn when she looked at Maia. Maybe it helped that Maia was a super hot woman as opposed to a douchey-looking guy. She couldn’t help but imagine what it looked like when Maia and Izzy kissed, and she tucked her hair behind her ear as she put her empty glass back on the table.

“Feeling thirsty, babe?” Maia asked cheekily, and Clary giggled, her eyes dropping to the table.

Izzy looked between Clary and Maia, and smiled. She’d known that Maia would win Clary over; she had charisma and charm in spades. She had not anticipated Clary developing a crush, though. It was cute. 

“So Maia, you said you weren’t dating anybody?” Izzy asked, and Maia nodded, popping some fries into her mouth. 

“Nah, not right now. I’m open to it, but… I don’t know.” 

“Hopefully when Valentine is caught, the dating pool will open up again,” Clary shrugged. 

Maia nodded, chewing thoughtfully for a moment. “I just can’t imagine myself settling down with just one person. I don’t know, I just don’t see it for myself.” 

“What, you’d settle down with two?” Izzy joked.

“Well, yeah.” Maia’s face was a little warm. “If I was gonna be in a relationship, it would probably be either an open one or a triad.”

“A triad?” Izzy repeated, her eyebrows creasing in the middle.

“A relationship with three people,” Clary answered. “It’s becoming more common in the mundane world.”

“Oh,” Izzy murmured, “so you’d be in love with two people and they’d also be in love with each other?” 

“Exactly,” Maia confirmed, shrugging it off. “I don’t know, it’s just a fantasy. The odds of me finding a couple who are both attracted to me, cool with the trans thing, in the shadow world and open to a triad… It’s never going to happen in a million years.” 

“You don’t know that,” Clary hummed, like she knew something Maia didn’t, and Izzy eyed her girlfriend, curiosity rising.

Maia smiled at Clary. “You’re so lucky you met Izzy so quickly. Dating in the shadow world is a nightmare.” 

Clary snorted. “Bet it isn’t as bad as being a lesbian in art school. The drama… I’m telling you…”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Izzy was glad that she and Clary had said no to cocktails when, the next morning, they were called out to an Institute meeting at the crack of dawn. She gave Alec a hug when he walked into the ops centre, happy to see him back on duty after two weeks’ rest. He’d been determined to start patrols right after he had his bandages off, but Magnus had managed to convince him to take a week’s sabbatical to take it easy.

Most of the other shadowhunters didn’t say anything to him, but a few, Raj included, clapped him on the shoulder and said that it was good to have him back. It was enough to have Alec blushing. 

“If I could have your attention…” Aldertree raised his chin, annoyed that the attention was on the eldest Lightwood rather than on him where he was stood on the platform. “I have been called away to Alicante to meet with the Council. Given our failure to locate Valentine, it has been decided that we need to re-evaluate our tactics. I am leaving Raj in charge until such time that I return. Continue looking for Valentine, and follow his orders as you would my own.” 

Alec elbowed Raj in the ribs, grinning from ear to ear. Raj looked shocked, obviously not having known about this assignment in advance.

“Congratulations, man,” Alec nodded, and Raj looked around the room as Aldertree skulked away to get his portal.

“I’ve never been in charge of a mission before, let alone…”

“You’re ready,” Izzy squeezed his hand. 

Raj nodded slowly, putting his hands on his hips. “Yeah. Right…” He marched up to the platform where Aldertree had stood just a moment before. 

“How come he didn’t leave Lydia in charge?” Clary whispered to Izzy, who snorted.

“Because Lydia’s incompetent.” 

“True.” Clary snickered.

“Forget combing the city,” Raj announced, “that isn’t getting us anywhere. The people who really know what’s going in this city are the downworlders. Their people are gonna be the ones that Valentine goes after first, so I want the people with connections to downworlders to ask them if they’ve heard anything, if anyone’s gone missing. The slightest rumour could give us a lead.” 

“What if we don’t socialise with downworlders?” One of the shadowhunters, Bloodthorn, spoke up. 

“Then feel free to spend this time making friends,” Raj answered coolly, and stepped down from the platform. 

“Suddenly I’m a heterosexual,” Clary teased when Raj walked back up to them. Raj snorted and pushed her shoulder lightly.

“I don’t have time for white girls.” Raj insisted, “and I’m not messing with Izzy.”

“A wise choice,” Izzy shrugged. 

“Seriously though, I want as much intel from Luke, Simon, Raphael and the warlocks as you guys can get me. I mean it. If we get results with a downworlder friendly strategy, it could be huge.”

Alec nodded. “Smart play. See, you’re great at this.” 

Raj smirked, patting Alec’s bicep. “Get me results, Lightwood.”

“Yes, Sir!” Alec grinned, giving Raj a salute before heading out to talk to Cat and Ragnor.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Do you ever have a day off?” Magnus asked as Maia turned to face him, leaning against the bar. 

Maia narrowed her eyes at him. “It’s 2pm and you’re supposed to be detoxing.” 

Magnus’ eyebrows furrowed. “Did Catarina call everyone in New York?” 

“Only your favourite bartender,” Maia preened, which made Magnus laugh despite the irritation he felt at Cat trying to mother him. 

“I guess I’ll have a smoothie, then.” He relented, hopping up onto a bar stool, and Maia nodded in approval.

“Red berry or greens?” 

“I’m immortal, I don’t need to swallow green sludge.” Magnus tutted, drumming his ringed fingers on the bar. 

Maia laughed lightly and got to work tossing the berries in a blender with some yogurt. “So what’ve you been up to? I heard Alec’s surgery went well.” 

“Yes, it couldn’t have gone better. He’s pretty much healed up already. Healing runes are no joke. We spent the last week together, taking it easy. But now he’s gone back to work, so I’m…”

“Bored?” 

“Yeah, pretty much,” Magnus admitted. “Missing him. God, I don’t know what’s wrong with me. He’s been gone a grand total of four hours and I’m pining.” 

“That’s gross, man.” Maia shook her head.

“Yeah, yeah,” Magnus huffed, waving it off. “I’m fucked, Maia. I’m totally fucked. He’s… Literally the love of my life, probably. I adore him. I would… I’d cut my fingers off one at a time if he asked.” 

“Jesus Christ, Magnus, you’ve been dating for like…”

“Less than two months.” 

“Damn.” Maia smiled, shaking her head. “You fall fast, huh?” 

“Apparently,” Magnus sighed, grabbing a straw as Maia poured the smoothie into a glass. “I don’t know. It’s… I’m obsessed with him. He’s so gorgeous, and he’s devoted and kind and he truly, honestly cares about me. It’s… God.” He let his forehead fall onto the bar. “I’m so fucked! I’m fucked!”

Maia laughed, rubbing his shoulder blade. “Sounds like you’re really happy.” 

“I am! But I’m going to fuck it up somehow, aren’t I, and then what’s gonna happen?!” The words were muffled, because he spoke them into the polished wood of the bar, but Maia understood them nonetheless. 

“I’m sure that’s not true, babe.” She assured him. 

Magnus sat up, and stuck the straw in his smoothie. “Raphael, of all people, tried to give me romantic advice.” 

“Yeah?” Maia smirked, “how did that go?” 

“Just live in the moment and enjoy what’s happening right now. Stop being a drama queen.” Magnus quoted, squinting in the serious way that Raphael did. “Annoyingly, it’s good advice.” 

“It is, and I’d have said the same thing.” Maia insisted. 

Magnus hummed, drinking his smoothie. “What are you up to, anyway? How’d the lunch go with Izzy?” 

“Clary was there too, and it went really well, actually!” Maia smiled, polishing a glass. “Yeah, they seem really happy together, and Clary was cool about me and Izzy’s history, so… Yeah. All good.” 

“That’s nice. Do you think it’ll become a regular thing?” 

“Yeah, I hope so. Clary wants to bring Izzy to a lesbian bar, and I said I’d go too. I hardly ever get to go to the girls’ bars, perks of mostly being friends with guys.” Maia shrugged, “it should be fun.” 

Magnus nodded. “I think all three of you could use a night out. It’s been a tough few months.” 

“You can say that again,” Maia murmured, glancing up at the sound of the door opening. She was waiting for Kathleen to come in for her shift and relieve her. 

Izzy looked a little sheepish to be there, and Maia quirked her eyebrow at the sight of her. She waved Izzy over to the bar, pulling the rag off her shoulder and tossing it in the sink. “Hey,” Izzy said breathlessly, hopping up onto the stool next to Magnus. “My brother just went to the loft looking for you,” she told Magnus, who straightened up at the news.

“Is he okay?” 

“Fine, yeah. We have missions to talk to our downworlder friends,” Izzy explained, looking back at Maia. “Do you mind if I ask you some questions about what’s been happening in the pack lately?”

Maia tensed a little, but Izzy held up her hands.

“No sensitive information, I’m not enforcing, I promise. We’re asking around about possible disappearances, indications of Circle activity. That’s all, I swear. Any rumour could help us.” 

“The Clave is canvassing downworlders?” Magnus asked skeptically, sipping his smoothie. “They must be desperate.”

“It wasn’t the Clave’s idea.” Izzy admitted, “Aldertree went to Alicante to meet with the Clave and left Raj in charge. This was his idea.” 

“That makes a lot more sense,” Maia huffed, shaking her head. “Sure, yeah, I don’t mind answering your questions if it’s to catch Valentine.”

“Great!” Izzy beamed, “can I get a coke? We’re probably gonna be here for a while. You good to answer some questions too, Magnus?” 

“I should get back to the loft to meet Alec,” Magnus mused. He knew Ragnor was hiding out there researching, and he didn’t want Alec to be grumpy with him for allowing Ragnor to stay in New York again.

“Actually,” Izzy took his arm as he moved to get up, “I have something I wanted to talk to you about, without Alec around.” 

Magnus arched his eyebrow, glancing at Maia, who also looked curious. “Yes?” 

Izzy glanced around the room. “I think that we need to set up a… Network. You, me, Luke, Raphael and Meliorn.” 

“What, like…? A spy network?” Maia asked. She’d leaned forward on the bar, intrigued. 

“No, no, more like a… Cabinet. To discuss threats to the downworld.” 

“What, behind Aldertree’s back?” Magnus said slowly. “That’s grounds for deruning, Isabelle.”

Izzy blinked at him. “When has that ever stopped me?” 

Magnus and Maia looked at each other, impressed. 

“You’re insane. But I’m so turned on by you right now.” Maia admitted, which made Izzy laugh briefly, but she curled her fingers into a fist on the bar when it faded away, the seriousness of the situation coming back to her. 

“After what happened with Raphael, we have to figure out a way to get Aldertree off his post. His attitude towards downworlders is unacceptable.” 

“I knew it was a bad idea to tell Alec about that,” Magnus muttered, shaking his head. “It’s too risky, Isabelle. If you and Alec got deruned, we’d have halved our allies in the New York Institute.” 

“Hey, you’re underestimating Izzy a little, don’t you think? She’s sneaky.” Maia chipped in. “No-one had any idea we were seeing each other for months. She knows how to be discreet.”

“Yeah, exactly, see? I know what I’m doing.” Izzy smiled at Maia. “We can do this.” 

“Something’s gotta be done about Aldertree, Magnus. And we can’t do much without the shadowhunters.” Maia pointed out, and Magnus pursed his lips. 

“Fine,” Magnus allowed. “I’ll talk to Raphael and Luke about it. But you should talk to Meliorn. He’s much more likely to keep it to himself if the offer comes from you. He still hasn’t forgiven me for not returning the favour when we-”

“Anyway,” Izzy choked, not wanting to think about her brother’s boyfriend returning any of her exes’ favours, thank you very much, “Valentine.”

“Right. Valentine.” Maia nodded, smirking a little. 

Magnus huffed out a laugh, and crossed his legs. “What do you want to know?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Magnus?!” Alec called as he walked into the loft, his eyebrows furrowing as he heard a thump in the living room. He jogged into the room just in time to see Ragnor about to step through a portal. “Ragnor!”

“Oh!” Ragnor spun around, waving his arm behind him to get rid of the portal. “Alec! I didn’t see you there!” 

Alec narrowed his eyes. “What are you doing back here? You’re supposed to be in Kenya.” 

“Yes, quite. The thing is, the sun doesn’t really agree with me, not to mention the fact that you absolutely cannot find a decent cup of English breakfast tea-”

“Ragnor, you promised that you would stay away from New York until we figured out who framed you.” 

Ragnor scratched the base of his horn. “Yes, yes, alright, alright, you have my apologies. The truth is, I’ve hit a dead end in my investigation. I need the help of a shadowhunter.” He looked hopefully at Alec, who sighed quietly. 

“What do you need?” He would always owe Ragnor for helping him to come to terms with his transness, and for supporting him when he was young and closeted. 

“It shouldn’t be too difficult. All I need to know is who signed the warrant for my arrest, which Inquisitor. That should narrow down my list of possible traitorous students.” Ragnor explained, and Alec folded his arms, nodding. 

“Right, right. I can do that, no problem. Why didn’t you just… I don’t know, call?” 

Ragnor cleared his throat, sitting down on the couch and fiddling with some of the notebooks that were laid out on the coffee table. “I wanted to be close to Magnus. You know he’s trying to quit drinking, I assume?” 

“Yeah, Cat told me. He’s doing really well.” Alec assured the other man. “He’s spent most of the last couple of weeks with me and I haven’t seen him drink at all.”

“I think that having you to look after has helped keep his mind off Camille,” Ragnor nodded, interlocking his fingers and letting them rest on his knees. “You seem very good for each other, which makes a nice change from the people Magnus usually falls for.” 

Alec shrugged one shoulder. “I care about him.”

“And he cares about you. He’s putting a lot of pressure on himself to make this work, Alec.” 

“I know. We talked about it the other night,” Alec ran his hand through his hair. “I swear, I’m glad that Camille is in prison because if I ever see her face again, knowing now what she put him through…”

“Get in line,” Ragnor huffed. “Cat called first blood decades ago.” 

Alec smiled slightly. “How’s she doing?” 

“She’s over exerting herself,” Ragnor tutted, “but what’s new? She’s always thrown herself into her work when she doesn’t want to deal with something. I feel that knowing Dot is out there, imprisoned, has done more harm than thinking she was dead. It’s…” A shiver ran down Ragnor’s spine. “It doesn’t bear thinking about.” 

“I know how she feels… When Izzy was on Valentine’s ship…” Alec shook his head. “I should… Reach out. Do something for her.” 

“Alec, darling boy,” Ragnor patted his hand. “As pure as your intentions are, I know Catarina, and she doesn’t like to be vulnerable. And… No offense meant, of course it was awful for you to be seperated from her, but you knew Izzy was, at least physically, safe, through your rune. Catarina knows for sure that Dot is being tortured, physically and mentally. So…”

“Best not to draw comparisons.” Alec nodded, “right. Right, you’re right.” 

Ragnor squeezed his hand gently. “She’ll get through it. Valentine will be defeated and Dot will be brought home. She’s strong.” 

“I’ve never met her,” Alec admitted. “But if she’s important to Cat then she’s important to me. I actually… You might be able to help me, with Valentine.” 

“Oh?” Ragnor straightened up a little. “How?”

“Have there been any rumours about downworlders going missing, that you know of? Or… Run-ins with Circle members, anonymous hate crimes, that kind of thing?” Alec asked, and Ragnor hummed, taking a moment to think.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“There have been people going missing,” Luke admitted, blowing across his tea, “but that’s honestly pretty normal for wolves. If they aren’t tied to the pack, a lot of the time they wander. It’s hard to know who’s just gone up to Canada chasing bears, or who’s been taken by Valentine.” He took a sip, watching Clary thoughtfully. “As much as I hate to admit it, the vampires will be more useful. They rarely stray far from the Hotel DuMort, so Raphael will probably have a better idea if any of his people are missing.”

“Okay,” Clary nodded, “thanks anyway.” She eyed him for a moment. He still had dark circles under his eyes, and she swore he looked like he’d lost weight. “How are you holding up?”

Luke smiled weakly. “I’m fine, kiddo.”

“I’m not a kid anymore.” She reached across the table to squeeze his hand. “Please don’t push me away. I want to be here for you.”

“It’s tough,” Luke admitted eventually. “With your Mom, and now Cleophas rejoining the Circle…” 

Clary bit the inside of her cheek. “The Clave are still refusing to hear my reports. Me and Izzy aren’t exactly their most trusted soldiers, so… They’re still pursuing the theory that Cleophas was kidnapped.”

“There’s no way that Valentine could break through those angelic wards,” Luke stated, “it’s impossible. Cleophas must have taken them down from the inside.”

“What if…?” Clary hesitated. “What if Valentine has the angels on his side?”

Luke raised his eyebrows. “Why the hell would they do that?” 

“What if they want Valentine to win?” Clary whispered, pressing her hands together between her knees.

“Clary…”

“Think about it, Luke. They gave Valentine angel blood to put inside me, and somehow Valentine survived that fire…”

“That’s insane,” Luke hissed, “why would the angels allow downworlders to exist if they wanted them dead?!” 

Clary pressed her lips together. She knew this would be hard for Luke to hear; he’d been a shadowhunter for most of his life, and no doubt his transition to downworlder had been hard enough. She imagined that ‘at least the angel still loves me’ was probably a grounding sentiment during his bad days. 

Luke watched her carefully. “What aren’t you telling me?”

She knew she shouldn’t tell him, she knew it would get her in trouble with Aldertree, but she couldn’t look Luke in the eye and lie to him. “The Soul Sword… It’s more dangerous than we realised.”

“How?” Luke asked, leaning forward a little in his seat.

“It has the power to wipe out all the living things with demon blood in its path, if its wielded by somebody with a blood connection to an angel.” She explained. “Which is why Valentine put angel blood in me.” 

“So downworlders… It’s a nuke that only kills downworlders.” Luke lifted his hand to his face, rubbing across his bearded chin. He shook his head. “So Cleophas heard that Valentine had the Soul Sword and then just happened to disappear?” He scoffed, pinching the bridge of his nose for a long moment. “Alright. Alright.”

“It’s gonna be okay, Luke, we’ll find him. He’s got to come out at some point to come and get me or Alec, right?” 

“Alec?” Luke repeated, dropping his hand. “The Lightwoods don’t have a blood connection…”

“There’s a prophecy, apparently. The eldest girl who lights up the woods will wield the sword… Or something like that. It’s… Pretty obvious.” 

“They specified girl, too?” Luke’s eyebrows furrowed. “Damn. That’s cold.”

“The angels are bigoted cockwaffles,” Clary shrugged, “that much is obvious.”

Luke huffed out a laugh despite himself. “Yeah. Maybe you’re right.”

“Cleophas has almost certainly told Valentine about the prophecy by now, so we have to assume that…” Clary trailed off when Luke slowly got to his feet, his eyes fixed on the door. She turned around slowly.

Cleophas was standing in the doorway of the Jade Wolf, clutching her tunic where it was stained red. The two Garroways stared at each other, Luke’s gaze cool where Cleophas’ was pained and desperate. 

Clary got to her feet and ran over to help her, pulling her scarf from around her neck and wrapping it around Cleophas’ wound. When she straightened back up, the siblings were still having a conversation with their eyes, and Clary helped Cleophas to sit down on the nearest chair.

“Hold still, I’ll draw an iratze,” Clary muttered, pulling up Cleophas’ sleeve.

“What are you doing here?” Luke demanded. 

“I’ve been held captive for weeks, Lucian. I managed to get a jump on the guards, but I got injured. This was closer than the Institute.” Cleophas panted, her face screwed up with pain. 

“Right, sure.” Luke muttered, folding his arms. 

“I can take you to him. I know where he’s hiding.” 

Luke snorted, but Clary’s spine straightened a little. 

“Luke, maybe we should listen to her.” 

“It has to be a trap, we can’t trust her,” Luke insisted, “we’ll hand her over to the Clave, and if she wants to bring her old pal Val down so badly, she can help them do it.” 

“Clarissa, listen to me.” Cleophas grasped Clary’s wrist, “by the time we get to the Institute and they organise an operation, Valentine will have left the warehouse. We have to go now.” 

Clary looked up at Luke, who shook his head. “Let’s talk back there.” She nodded towards the kitchen, and Luke agreed. 

“She is a master manipulator, Clary, you can’t-”

“Not that much of a master,” Clary shrugged, a little smirk pulling at the corner of her mouth. “She called me Clarissa. Only Valentine calls me that. She’s obviously been discussing me with him.”

Luke relaxed, blowing out a slow breath. “Good. So we’re handing her to the Clave.”

“If we take the pack, we can spring the trap and overwhelm him. This is our best chance in weeks, we could finally take him down. We can make him pay for what he did to Mom.” There was a glint in Clary’s eye that scared Luke, and he put his hands on her shoulders.

“No matter what you do to Valentine, it isn’t going to change what happened to your Mom, and it isn’t going to make you feel better. Trust me. You aren’t in the right headspace to go after Valentine right now, you’re running on revenge, and he will use it against you. We need the Clave, we need their coldness. He can’t manipulate a wall of no emotion.” He pointed out. 

She knew he was right.

She also had no intention of waiting for the Clave.

“Fine.” Clary gritted out. “I’ll call Izzy for an escort.” 

“It’s the right choice, Clary,” Luke promised. 

Clary nodded, and pulled out her phone, waiting until Luke went back into the restaurant before calling Izzy. 

“Iz,” she muttered, “I have a lead on Valentine. Keep it quiet and be fast, we don’t have much time. I’m at the Jade Wolf…”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Hey, man,” Raj waved Alec over when he spotted him walking through ops. “Any luck with Magnus?” 

“I didn’t see him, he wasn’t home. I did talk to Ra-” Alec snapped his mouth shut, coughing a little. “Cat. She said that Magnus would know better of who exactly went missing and where, but she heard rumours that Iris Rouse has been grooming warlocks for Valentine.” 

“Iris Rouse?” Raj repeated, his eyebrows furrowing. “But she was trying to breed warlocks for the war, why would she be working with Valentine?” 

Alec shrugged. “The warlocks don’t get it either. I’ll ask Magnus more about it tomorrow when I see him. Cat said he had to go out for downworlder business, I figure he’s not going to be happy about being grilled after that.” 

“Good call, he’s not the most co-operative when he’s tired,” Raj snorted, and Alec quirked an eyebrow at the fond tone of Raj’s voice. 

“You guys bonded while I was healing, huh?” 

Raj glanced at him, and rolled his eyes. “I think he’s sound. He’s a good guy, that’s it. I like you guys together, and we had some laughs while you were fucked up on pain meds. You’ve got nothing to worry about.” 

“I know,” Alec muttered, his shoulders rising. “I just… I was going to ask Izzy, but, uh…” 

“Well,” Raj sighed, sitting down in the nearest chair, “I’m here all night, so if you wanna talk about something, I’m all ears.” 

Alec sat in the chair next to him, pursing his lips. “Do you date?” 

“Do I date?” Raj repeated, arching an eyebrow. “Dude… Look at me.”

“Shut up,” Alec laughed, kicking at the leg of Raj’s chair. “I mean, do you… Y’know, pursue relationships? Properly?” 

“If you’re asking if I’ve had actual feelings for people, then yes. Why?” 

Alec glanced around the room to make sure no-one was listening. “How do you know when it’s the right time to… Go to the next level?”

“Are you…?” Raj raised his eyebrows. “Are you asking me if you should fuck Magnus?” 

“Raj!” Alec hissed, eyes going wide. “The whole Institute doesn’t need to know!”

“But you are?”

“Keep your voice down,” Alec insisted. “Just… Is it too soon? Am I coming off a little…?”

“Desperate?”

“Dude!”

“No, you’re fine, you don’t come off as desperate,” Raj assured him. “Whatever you wanna do with Magnus is okay. I mean… Given you don’t wanna, like… Do really fucked up shit. I mean… If nobody’s getting hurt, whatever you want is fine. If you both want it, go for it.” 

“That’s the thing,” Alec sighed, shifting a little closer. “Last time we talked about it Magnus got kinda freaked out, and I don’t know how to bring it up again. Obviously if he doesn’t wanna do it yet, that’s fine, I just…” He pinched the bridge of his nose.

“You just what?” Raj pressed, tilting his head to the side. He had the biggest shit-eating grin on his face. 

“I’d like to know…” He struggled for a word that didn’t make him sound like some weird android, but he couldn’t think of a way to phrase it other than, “what kinda ETA we’re looking at here.” 

“ETA!” Raj cackled, throwing his head back. “Oh my God, I love you. I love you so much.” 

Alec scowled.

“No, but, uh…” Raj forced himself to calm, clearing his throat, “just be honest with him, man. Tell him you want his dick, and if he doesn’t want to give it to you right then that’s fine, but that you’d like some assurance that you guys are headed in the right direction.” 

Alec nodded, squinting his eyes as he put all that to memory. “Yes, exactly. Right.” He stood up, and Raj shook his head a little.

“You’re gonna go now?” 

“Well… Yeah. Why not?” 

Raj smirked. “Hey man, I’m not judging. If you wanna run to your boyfriend’s empty loft and wait for him to get home…”

“Listen…” Alec held up his pointer finger. “I’ve waited like four months. I regret nothing, I’m gonna go and ride that dick. When he says it’s okay. And he’s put on a condom.” 

“Yeah you are!” Raj whooped, “go get that consensual safe sex!” 

Alec blushed when a few shadowhunters turned their heads, and rushed out of the Institute to the sound of Raj chuckling.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Where’s the rest of you?” Luke asked as Izzy walked into the Jade Wolf by herself. 

Clary grabbed his taser from his waistband and shoved it into the centre of his chest, sending him reeling down to the ground. She didn’t have time to hesitate, catching hold of Cleophas’ arm and running for the door. “Let’s go!” She snapped at Izzy, who followed too. 

“You just tased Luke!” Izzy hissed, running alongside her towards the city.

“I’ll apologise later,” Clary answered, “we have to get Valentine.”

The three of them moved in silence until they reached the cover of the city, pausing in an alleyway to catch their breath. Clary leaned against the wall, her head tilted up to the sky as she panted. Her hand flew up to her forehead as an agonising pain crept into her cranium, grunting out loud as the pain transcended into an audible scream in her ears. 

Clary forced her eyes open to see Izzy and Cleophas looking down at her, and she realised that she’d slid down the wall, clutching her head. 

“What is it?” Izzy asked, grasping her elbow. 

“I can hear… Screaming.” Clary forced out, and Cleophas held her hand out for Izzy’s stele. 

“I need to activate my hearing rune,” she explained when Izzy gave her a suspicious look. Izzy didn’t budge, and Cleophas sighed. “Fine. That one.” She pointed to an unfamiliar rune on her collarbone, and Izzy moved her stele across it as Cleophas took Clary’s hand. 

Her eyes bugged out of her head as the scream that Clary was hearing reverberated in her head, falling backwards on her butt, right onto the concrete. She scrambled back until she was pressed into the wall, shaking hands coming up to her mouth. 

“What did you hear?” Izzy demanded, her heart racing. 

“An angel… An angel is screaming.” Cleophas whispered.

The scream faded away, and Clary let out a sigh of relief. “What are you talking about?”

“Why is the angel screaming?”

“It’s chained… Imprisoned…” Cleophas looked like she was about to be sick, her eyes glimmering with tears. “Valentine… He couldn’t. He wouldn’t.”

“Wait… You’re saying Valentine has an angel captive?! Is that even possible?” Izzy gasped, helping Clary to her feet. 

Cleophas nodded, getting up with shaky legs. Her ears were ringing, with rage or despair she wasn’t sure. She’d trusted Valentine to do the angel’s will, to rid the world of the undesirable creatures that had sprung up in their absence. But he’d betrayed the trust of an angel, chained him down, tortured him… 

Valentine was a monster.

“I-if an angel wielded the Soul Sword…” Clary murmured.

“Every downworlder on Earth would perish.” Cleophas confirmed, straightening up. “If the angel is being held against his will, it is not his wish for downworlders to die. I’ll help you.”

“Save it, Cleophas, we know you’re planning to betray us.” Izzy snapped.

Cleophas shook her head. “I was. But if Valentine has violated the freedom of an angel… He’s been wrong this whole time. This hasn’t been about upholding the will of the angels, it’s been about… Power.” She spat, trembling with anger. “He used us all.” 

Izzy and Clary checked in with each other, Izzy’s eyebrow arching, but Clary shrugged one shoulder. 

“Alright, Cleophas. Help us spring the trap.” Clary called her bluff.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Izzy hadn’t been gone too long when Luke came streaming into the Hunter’s Moon, knocking over a stool in his haste. Maia was just coming out of the staff room, having finished her shift. She was wired, considering calling up Izzy to ask if she and Clary wanted to swing by that bar they’d been talking about before, but she stopped dead in her tracks when she ran into Luke.

“We have to go. Clary and Izzy have gone after Valentine. I have Clary’s scent but I need backup.” Luke told her, and Maia nodded, tossing her bag behind the bar.

“Let’s go.” The two of them burst out into the street and into the night. 

Clary’s scent wasn’t too far away, and it didn’t take the two wolves long to follow it to an abandoned warehouse next to an ordinary office block. Luke grabbed Maia’s arm as they neared the door and they skidded to a halt. The two of them scented the air, glancing up at the office building. 

“You go after Clary and Izzy, I’ll deal with Valentine.” Luke muttered, squeezing her shoulder. 

“Got it.” 

Luke ran inside the warehouse, pulling his gun from its holster as he went. Valentine and Cleophas were circling each other, Valentine holding the Soul Sword and Cleophas brandishing a seraph dagger. Pushing down his surprise, he aimed at Valentine’s head, and both of them looked up at the sound of the door shutting behind him.

“Ah! Lucian!” Valentine drawled, “of course it’s you who’s corrupted your dear little sister.” 

“He didn’t have to, Valentine,” Cleophas insisted, her voice thick with tears. “You’ve crossed a line! To imprison an angel…!” 

“A what?!” 

Valentine sighed dramatically. “It was necessary, as I’ve said.” 

“Necessary?!” Cleophas choked, her dagger faltering as her arm dropped. Valentine lunged for her, grabbing her by the hair and pressing the Soul Sword to her throat. 

“God, Cleo,” Luke hissed, shaking his head. She’d always been obsessed with Valentine, and no doubt this whole thing was breaking her heart, but… Did she have to get herself snatched up?

“Shoot him, Lucian,” Cleophas urged.

“You know he won’t,” Valentine taunted, a smug glint in his eyes. “He’d never hurt either one of us, not even after all we’ve been through. He doesn’t have the stomach.” 

“You…” Luke clenched his jaw, adjusting his grip on his gun. “You had Jocelyn killed.” 

Valentine’s lip twitched. “It was necessary.”

“Necessary?!” Luke snapped, a growl edging into his voice, and he pushed the wolf down. “You loved her once!” 

“And she betrayed me! For a filthy wolf!” Valentine shouted. “This is all your fault, Lucian. If you hadn’t stolen her from me… You brought this on yourself.” 

Luke forced himself to stay calm. “If you hadn’t pumped yourself full of demon blood, she never would have come to me. And nothing happened between us. Nothing ever happened. She died before anything happened.” He sucked his lower lip into his mouth. “We were finally ready, we were going to go out to dinner, and you… You took her from me.” 

“All’s fair in love and war, Lucian.” Valentine was backing towards the door, and Luke stepped forward, cocking his gun. 

“Not another step.” 

“Just shoot him! Finish this, Lucian!” Cleophas encouraged.

Valentine and Luke both knew that wasn’t going to happen. 

“See you soon, Lucian.” Valentine flashed him a grin, shoved Cleophas sprawling onto her hands and knees and ran out the door. Luke fired a warning shot at the doorpost, but Valentine was gone. 

Clary was going to be pissed.

Luke bent down to help Cleophas, who hugged him fiercely as they stood, pressing her face into his shoulder.

“I’m sorry, Lucian,” she whimpered, clutching him tightly. “I’m so sorry. I was wrong. About… About everything.” 

He swallowed hard, shaking his head as he slowly put his arms around her. “It’s… It’s alright.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When Maia reached the roof, it wasn’t looking good for Clary and Izzy. There were six Circle shadowhunters closing in on them where they stood back to back. Maia shifted into wolf form and sprung into action, sinking her teeth into the arm of the closest Circle member and kicking another in the ribs with her back legs. 

Clary and Izzy took the opportunity to launch into attacks of their own, and engaged two Circle members each. Once Maia was sure that the two she’d attacked were down for good, she turned to help Clary, and between the three of them the Circle members were quickly dealt with. 

“We’ve got to stop meeting like this,” Clary teased, holstering her blade and giving Maia a nod. 

Maia shrugged, following the two shadowhunters over to Valentine’s prisoner. He looked half-dead, his eyes sunken into his face and his face contorted in pain. Izzy unlocked the chains with a rune and the three women fell to the ground as they were bathed in brilliant, white light. Maia recoiled as the angel revealed itself, grasping Izzy’s and Clary’s arms in his hands. After a moment, the light streaked away into the sky, and Maia shook her head, her irises burning from the strength of the angel’s glow. 

Izzy took off her long coat and held it out to Maia, who shifted back to human form and put it on quickly. Both Izzy and Clary were quiet, and Maia huffed.

“What, no compliments on my ass? I’m hurt.” Maia quipped, her teasing smile fading at the grim look on Izzy and Clary’s faces. 

“The angel gave us a vision.” Clary murmured, “at least…? I think?”

“Yes, he did,” Izzy confirmed. “It’s Alec. Alec is the one who’s going to kill the downworlders.” 

“What?!” Maia yelped.

“The angel showed us a person in a cloak holding up the Soul Sword, and death and destruction.” Clary explained, “it… We didn’t see their face.”

“The person had a parabatai rune,” Izzy pointed out. “You don’t have a parabatai. And the aura… It was…”

“Mourning. Like the person was going to kill someone very close to them. Someone they love deeply.” Clary agreed, wringing her hands together.

“Magnus.” Maia breathed, and Izzy nodded. “But… Alec wouldn’t hurt a downworlder. He wouldn’t turn against us.” 

“He wouldn’t have to,” Izzy replied, “the Soul Sword… It’s a weapon of mass destruction. Wielded by someone with angel blood, it wipes out all living things with demonic blood in a certain area.” 

Maia didn’t know what to say, and Clary went over to her to squeeze her arm. 

“We won’t let that happen. We’ll…” She looked at Izzy for suggestions.

“We’ll make sure Valentine doesn’t get anywhere near him. We’ll keep him out of the field until the Soul Sword is back in Clave control.” Izzy insisted.

“What?! You’re going to hand a weapon of mass destruction back to the Clave?! Are you kidding? You need to destroy that thing!”

“You’re right.” Izzy nodded, anger rising in her. “It should never have existed in the first place. The Iron Sisters have been hiding the truth from all of us for centuries, and… Fuck them!” 

Maia swallowed hard. “Good.”

“With any luck Cleophas and Luke will have Valentine locked down and the Soul Sword can go to the wolves for now.” Clary pointed out. “We should go.” 

When the three women burst into the warehouse, they didn’t find Valentine or the Soul Sword. Instead they found Luke and Cleophas standing close together, their hands clasped between them and their voices low as they spoke to each other. 

“Where’s Valentine?” Izzy asked, disappointment sinking deep into her bones.

“I didn’t have a clean shot,” Luke admitted, looking briefly at Maia before looking away. 

“You saved her rather than taking down Valentine?! She abandoned you!” Maia shouted, and Luke recoiled.

“I didn’t deserve it,” Cleophas insisted, hugging herself. “I know that.”

“Damn right you didn’t.” Maia snarled, before turning on her heel and storming out of the warehouse.

Luke looked at Clary, misery in his face. “I couldn’t lose anybody else.” 

Clary rushed forward to hug him as he burst into tears.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Magnus was surprised to feel Alec coming through his wards. He’d figured that Alec would be at the Institute for at least a twelve hour shift now that he’d been allowed back to work. He’d been itching to get back the entire time he’d been healing. 

“Hey, angel, what’s-”

“Is Ragnor here?” Alec asked, shucking off his jacket. 

“Uhhh… No. He’s been in Kenya for…” Magnus trailed off when he saw Alec’s arched eyebrow and teasing smile, and sighed. “He left ten minutes ago.” 

Alec pounced, his hands cupping Magnus’ face and pulling him into a kiss. Magnus made a soft, surprised noise, his hands briefly touching Alec’s waist before pulling back. 

“Hey,” he chuckled, “what’s this about? Not that I’m complaining, but…” 

“I was thinking we could talk more… About… Our next step.” Alec shrugged, licking his lips. 

Magnus huffed out a laugh. “You mean the sex step.”

“Yeah.” 

“That didn’t feel like talking,” Magnus teased. 

Alec stepped close, taking Magnus’ hips in his hands. “Magnus, do you want to have sex with me? Now?” 

Magnus’ hands skimmed along Alec’s shoulders. “Business-like as ever,” he murmured, his eyes glittering with fondness.

“You’re avoiding the question.” Alec pointed out, backing off half an inch. Magnus clutched him tighter, fingers tangling in the material of his shirt. 

Magnus bit his lip. “Turn your phone off.” 

A slow grin spread across Alec’s face, and he pulled his phone out of his back pocket, flicking it off and tossing it towards the couch. “Better?”

“Much,” Magnus whispered, knotting his fingers in Alec’s hair and tugging him down into a slow, sultry kiss, stepping back towards the bedroom.

“You still didn’t say yes,” Alec pointed out smugly.

Magnus groaned, rolling his eyes. “Alright. Alexander Lightwood, please, God, please sit on my dick. How’s that?”

Alec laughed, and pushed Magnus through the bedroom door. “God…” He was beaming through his kisses, almost overwhelmed with relief and excitement. He tugged at Magnus’ jacket, pushing it over his shoulders as Magnus yanked his shirt up over his head, the two of them giggling as their eyes met. 

Magnus ran his fingers briefly over Alec’s top surgery scars, humming in appreciation. Alec had clearly been looking after them well, and he was glad. He pulled himself out of that reverie when Alec pitched forward, having lost his balance while trying to toe off his boots. Magnus kissed his shoulder, holding him by the waist with one hand while the other roamed up Alec’s back. He loved the feel of Alec’s muscles under his fingertips. 

Unable to wait any longer, Magnus grabbed Alec and pushed him onto the bed, yelping a little in surprise when Alec pulled him along too, the both of them landing lightly on the bed. Magnus pushed himself up on his hands to look Alec in the eye.

“That was graceful.” Magnus teased, and Alec licked his lips, the hunger in his eyes unmistakable when he peeked down Magnus’ shirt.

“Shadowhunter.” 

Magnus rolled his eyes and leaned in for another kiss, letting Alec pull his shirt up over his head. Alec arched underneath him, his legs coming up so his knees brushed Magnus’ waist, and Magnus felt his glamour drop, his magic flexing out of control. 

He pulled up quickly, bringing his hand up to his eyes as he turned to face the wall, willing his glamour back under control. Embarrassment and a little guilt clenched in his stomach as he heard Alec shift uncomfortably on the bed behind him. 

“Magnus? Are you…? Did I…? Did I do something wrong?” Alec asked, sitting up slowly. 

“No,” Magnus assured him quickly, “no, no such thing.”

Alec tilted his head to the side. “We don’t have to do this… I didn’t mean to pressure you or-or anything, I’m so-”

“Alexander,” Magnus whispered, reaching back to put his hand on Alec’s knee. “I want this. It’s just… When I get… You make me feel so much, it’s hard to keep control of my magic.” 

Alec sighed in relief. “Oh.” He scooted a little closer. “That’s okay. I don’t mind a couple of little shocks if it means you feel good.” 

Magnus chuckled softly. “It’s not that.” 

“Then… What is it?” 

Magnus turned around, letting his glamour drop. His golden cat eyes, his real eyes, searched Alec’s face as wonder bloomed across his expression. “It’s this.” 

Alec drank in the sight of his boyfriend without the glamour, raw, vulnerable Magnus Bane, laid bare. He smiled, reaching up to cup Magnus’ face. “They’re beautiful,” he murmured, his thumb brushing Magnus’ cheek, “you’re beautiful.” 

His words gave Magnus the sweetest ache in his heart, and he had to lean in and kiss Alec before he blurted out a confession of love. Alec ran his fingers through his hair as Magnus slowly pressed him back to the bed, unbuckling his own belt as he went.


	8. Episode 8: Love is a Devil

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These last two weeks have felt so damn long, oh my god. So much stuff has happened irl it's mad. I don't think that I'm going to be able to do that double bill now - I'll just be posting episode 9 in two weeks and then the finale two weeks after that. This episode is a lot more Maryse-and-her-kids focussed than the original episode. I like it a lot, it was super cathartic for me to write. Hope you all enjoy too!
> 
> Trigger warnings:
> 
> Misgendering/transphobia: Izzy tells Alec about the prophecy that misgenders him, and Alec understandably gets very upset.
> 
> Racism: Max is a racist little shit as in canon. He stirs shit between Alec and Maryse and says the same kinda rude stuff to Magnus that he says in the show. Maryse expresses discomfort at the idea of Magnus hosting Max’s party but as in canon Alec calls her out for it.
> 
> Mention of kidnapping: It’s mentioned that Madzie’s been kidnapped from the safehouse.
> 
> Dysfunctional/abusive parental relationships: Izzy avoids talking to Maryse and confides in Magnus about her feelings regarding the situation - complicated discussion of emotions surrounding emotionally abusive parents. Izzy hallucinates Maryse trying to kill her. Towards the end of the episode Maryse takes responsibility for her actions and commits to making things up with Alec and Izzy.
> 
> Emotional blackmail: There’s a tiny note of emotional blackmail from Alec to Maryse about her making up with Izzy.
> 
> Anxiety: Magnus is super anxious about the party and everything else. Maia and Alec do their best to keep him calm.
> 
> Alcoholism: Magnus relapses into drinking when he gets stressed about the party.
> 
> Cheating: Clary sees Izzy kissing Simon, but it’s just a hallucination. Later on Maryse tells Izzy and Alec that their father cheated on her.
> 
> Suicide attempt: As in canon, Alec tries to jump off the roof, and Magnus saves him.
> 
> Guilt: Clary and Alec talk about Jocelyn and Alec’s guilt about it.

Alec shivered awake, his eyes stubbornly squeezing more tightly shut in the morning light. He tugged at the covers, meaning to turn over and go back to sleep, but the duvet didn’t move, and a small smile appeared on his face as he remembered why. 

One eye slitted open to see the golden expanse of Magnus’ back, most of the sheets bunched up under his armpit, and Alec huffed a little, shifting closer to spoon the older man and bury his face in his gorgeous, muscular shoulder. He breathed in the smell of Magnus, rich and soothing, and closed his eyes once more.

“Morning,” Magnus mumbled, moving his hand to lace his fingers with Alec’s. 

Alec smiled. “Morning.” He quirked his eyebrow, smirking a little. “Oh man, what time is it? I have to get back to the Institute.”

The muscles in Magnus’ back tensed, and Alec chuckled, rubbing Magnus’ tummy. 

“I’m kidding. I’m kidding,” he promised, and Magnus huffed, elbowing Alec gently in the ribs. “Were you really afraid I was gonna go?”

“What? No,” Magnus scoffed, reaching for Alec’s hand again.

He turned over onto his back, and Alec pulled his pillow a little closer, snuggling into Magnus’ side. They lay in blissful quiet for a moment, Alec’s thumb rubbing circles onto the back of Magnus’ hand, their feet tangled together. Alec wanted to say a thousand things, he wanted to laugh and cry all at once. The memories of the night before were haunting and wonderful, and he wondered how he was going to get anything done ever again. 

“What are you afraid of?” Alec asked, surprising even himself. He looked up at Magnus’ face to see his unguarded gold eyes already watching him. 

Magnus’ eyebrow arched, and Alec sighed, letting go of his hand to trace the lines of muscle on Magnus’ chest.

“You’re an all-powerful warlock, you can summon demons, you’ve lived through centuries of war, you don’t need to be afraid of sickness or death or aging… So… What scares you?”

“Acid-wash jeans.” Magnus mused, and Alec snorted, biting his pec. Magnus hissed through his laughter, batting Alec away. 

“Come on, Magnus. I mean it. What are you afraid of?” 

Magnus turned over onto his side so he was face to face with Alec, tucking his hand under his face. “The key to having no fear is having nothing to lose.” He said quietly, the fingers of his free hand framing Alec’s face. “These days I have a lot to lose.”

Alec smiled, kissing Magnus on the nose. “You’re never going to lose me.” 

It hurt to hear Alec say that, because Magnus knew that he meant it. He also knew that it wasn’t true. “I guess that’s why… I haven’t let myself fall in love for so long.”

Alec nodded, a little disappointment sinking in his chest.

“And then I met you.” Magnus met his eyes, a smile crinkling the golden gaze, and Alec pressed their foreheads together. 

“Can I say it yet?” Alec whispered, and Magnus chuckled. 

“That’s the sex talking,” Magnus murmured, his hands tugging Alec up over him, legs falling open. “Which, for the record, was amazing.”

Alec rolled his eyes. “You’re changing the subject.” 

Magnus cupped his face, pressing his thumbs over Alec’s mouth. “You’re rushing me.” 

“Sorry.” Alec replied, sitting up so he was kneeling between Magnus’ thighs. “I just feel so…”

“I know, angel,” Magnus smiled. “I do, too.”

Alec leaned down to kiss him, hands running up Magnus’ thighs, and Magnus hummed in pleasure. “You wanna go again?” He asked, kissing over Magnus’ cheek and up to his temple.

“Mmmmm… Please.” 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It almost physically pained Alec to leave Magnus in bed, warm and satisfied. But he’d been totally off the grid for almost 24 hours, and he had no idea what was going on outside the walls of Magnus’ loft. When he turned on his phone, still sitting on the couch, he had dozens of missed calls and texts, and with several long, apologetic kisses, he left Magnus and made his way to the Institute. 

“Where the hell have you been?!” Izzy demanded, pulling him into a hug. “I couldn’t reach you or Magnus, I thought-”

“We were busy.” Alec answered, rubbing her back. “I’m sorry. What happened? What did I miss?” 

While Izzy filled him in on the events of the night before, Alec got changed and brushed his teeth. He felt awful for leaving Izzy and Clary to deal with Valentine alone. 

“You couldn’t have done much anyway,” Izzy assured him. “But… There’s something else. I didn’t want to tell you this until you were better, but I can’t put it off any more. When Clary and I went to the Iron Sisters, they told us that the Soul Sword was originally intended as a failsafe. When it’s used by an angel or someone with a blood connection to an angel, it has the power to wipe out any downworlders in range. It’s a weapon of mass destruction.”

“What?!” 

“That’s not all.” Izzy held up her hands, guiding Alec to sit down on the bed. She looked teary, and Alec steeled himself. “There’s a prophecy. The angels sent it to the Iron Sisters 21 years ago, when Valentine was at his most powerful. No-one knew about this prophecy until last week except the Iron Sisters.”

Alec clenched his hands together on his lap. “Right…”

“The prophecy says that the eldest… Girl… to illuminate the forest will drive away evil with the sword.” Izzy said slowly.

“The eldest girl?” Alec repeated, swallowing hard. “They said girl?”

Izzy nodded, her lips pressed together tightly. “I’m sorry, Alec.” 

“They could mean you…”

“There’s more. The vision Clary and I had… The person holding the Soul Sword was in deep mourning, for a downworlder who fell victim to the sword. The person holding that sword is in love with a downworlder.” Izzy explained gently, her hands covering Alec’s.

“Magnus.” Alec breathed, running his hands down his face. 

Izzy squeezed his arms. “You have a blood connection to the angel. You were blessed at birth, and we have to keep you away from Valentine and the Soul Sword.” 

“Blessed?” Alec scoffed. “In what world is any of this a blessing?” 

There was nothing Izzy could say to make him feel better, she knew that. 

“So, what? Me being trans is part of it?” Alec dropped his hands as he stood up, shoulders tensing with anger. “To, to throw people off the scent?! It’s just some, some trick that the angel’s playing on everyone?!” 

“We don’t know that.” Izzy soothed.

“You might not,” Alec snarled, pacing around the room. “So all this, everything I’ve been through, all the shit that I had to deal with growing up, the doubt and self-hatred, it’s all part of some… Sadistic, evil purpose? So I can kill the man I love and everyone else with demonic parents?!” 

Izzy shook her head, her fingertips skimming across her forehead. “I don’t know.”

“Who else knows about this?” 

“No-one except me, Clary, the Iron Sisters and Valentine. We told Aldertree that the Soul Sword could be used by someone with an angelic blood connection to kill downworlders, but I wanted you to know about the prophecy first. I wanted you to make a decision for yourself. Cleophas most likely told Valentine about the prophecy while she was hiding with him the last couple of weeks.” Izzy explained, “I wanted to leave it to you to decide whether to tell Aldertree and the Clave.”

Alec paused, nodding. “Thanks, Iz.”

“Hey, if it helps… Max is coming home today.” Izzy told him, and Alec looked up, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. 

“Yeah?”

“Yeah, Mom’s gone to get him now.” Izzy folded her arms, tilting her head to the side. “Congratulations, by the way.” 

Alec raised an eyebrow at her.

Izzy winked salaciously. 

“Oh God,” Alec groaned, tipping his head back. A sheepish grin broke out on his face. “I was that obvious, huh?”

“No-one gets that happy and that nervous about a simple dinner date.” She hummed, nudging him in the ribs. “So, spill. How was it?” 

Alec squirmed, a little shiver running down his spine. “It was… Everything.”

“Aww,” Izzy cooed, rubbing his arm. “Little Alec’s growing up.”

“Shut up,” Alec groaned, “you know it would’ve happened a long time ago if I’d had my way.” 

Izzy laughed lightly. “Oh, I do. I’m glad Magnus lived up to the hype.” 

“He definitely did,” Alec agreed, “and then some.” 

“He did what?” 

The parabatai turned to see their mother standing in the doorway, her hands on Max’s shoulders.

“Uhh… He…”

“Magnus surprised Alec last night, with dinner… In Madrid.” Izzy explained quickly, and Alec nodded along.

“Mmmm, yeah, it was… Delicious.” He smiled, bending down to give Max a hug. 

“You’re looking a lot more like yourself, Alec.” Maryse noted, rubbing his shoulder when he straightened up, Max hanging off his hand. 

“I feel great,” Alec beamed, and Maryse nodded, a small smile on her lips.

“Well, that’s good, because Max has some news.” 

Max tugged on Alec’s hand to make him look down. “I passed my last trial. I’m getting my runes!” 

“Max, that’s amazing!” Izzy gasped, squeezing him tight. “I’m so proud of you!” 

“That’s great, buddy. You’re gonna be an incredible shadowhunter.” Alec told him, and Max sighed happily.

“Are you up to organising Max’s party?” Maryse asked. She looked strange when Alec met her eyes, like she was holding her breath.

Izzy said what they were all thinking. “But that’s Dad’s job.”

“Your father is busy in Alicante with the Valentine taskforce. I’m afraid he won’t be able to make it.” 

Alec glanced at Izzy, who looked as suspicious as he felt. “Of course, Mom. I’ll do it.” He promised. 

“Don’t make it boring!” Max pleaded, “can we go somewhere cool?”

“I have just the place,” Alec assured him, “you’ll love it.” 

Max fist-pumped, and Alec smiled at Maryse, who struggled to return it.

“Alec, do you think you could help Max with his bags?” Maryse asked. 

Alec could feel the tension rolling off Izzy, but what was he going to say? No, carry them yourself? “Sure. Come on, Max.” 

When the two boys were gone, Izzy stepped back like she was going to leave, and Maryse reached out to take her elbow. 

“Isabelle, please. Could you please listen to me, just for a moment?” Maryse sounded desperate, and that was enough to have Izzy suspicious. What did she need? 

“What is it?” She murmured, folding her arms. 

Maryse sighed, and glanced around. “Can we walk?” 

Izzy swallowed hard. “Not right now.” She answered, and shook her head. “I have things to do.”

She regretted turning away from her mother the second she did it, but she was still angry about being left to rot in the City of Bones, and she knew that she wasn’t ready to hear whatever Maryse had to say.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“So are you looking forward to your rune ceremony?” Alec asked as he helped Max unpack his bags.

“Yeah,” Max shrugged, “I can’t wait to get away from Mom and Dad.”

Alec frowned. “They giving you a hard time?” 

“No, they’re just… They yell at each other a lot.” Max admitted quietly. “Mom doesn’t like you having a warlock boyfriend.” 

“Oh.” Alec was confused. Maryse had promised him that she’d try to understand, and Robert had yet to speak to him. He’d fallen off the face of the Earth since Alec had kissed Magnus; he hadn’t even sent a get well soon text when Alec got out of surgery. He glanced at Max, tucking some shirts into a drawer. “What about you?”

“I don’t care.” Max insisted.

Alec nodded slowly. “Right. Good.” 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Maia hated it when people called her when she was playing candy crush. She could forgive it this time, though, because it was Izzy. 

“Hello?”

“Hey, Maia, how’s it going?” Izzy asked, and Maia glanced around her silent apartment. 

“Uh, good. How are you?” She answered, reclining back on the couch and crossing her ankles. 

Izzy didn’t answer her question, which made Maia wonder. “Are you busy Thursday night?” 

“I’m working, but I can switch shifts with somebody. What are you thinking?” 

“I’m trying to get this downworld cabinet together, and it turns out that Meliorn is bringing Seelie backup, so I figured that I should give Luke the same opportunity.”

“Oh…” Maia nodded, chewing on her thumbnail. “Yeah, yeah, sounds good. I promise I’ll be on my most diplomatic behaviour,” she teased.

“I think you’ll be the only one,” Izzy sounded like she was smiling, which let Maia relax a little. 

“You’ll do great. You’re doing a great thing, Iz. There’ll be teething problems, probably, but in the long run this is gonna be really helpful. I know it.” 

“Thanks, Maia. I appreciate it. I gotta go, but I’ll see you on Thursday? Luke’s arranging it in the Hunter’s Moon office, 8 o’clock.” Izzy told her.

“Got it, yeah. I’ll see you then. Bye.” 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“You can come out, Ragnor! I know you’re here!” Alec called wryly as he stepped around Magnus to walk into his apartment.

“Dammit, Ragnor, you left your umbrella at the door!” Magnus bellowed, and Ragnor stuck his head around the living room door sheepishly. 

“It might not have been mine.”

“No-one else I know would carry an umbrella with a carved ivory handle.” Alec pointed out.

Ragnor shrugged and disappeared back into the living room as Alec gave Magnus a kiss hello. 

“He comes and goes as he pleases,” Magnus sighed, “I keep telling him to stay away but he won’t have it.” 

“Hi, Alec!” Cat’s voice floated out too, and Alec went in to see her. “Scars healing well?” 

“Yeah, the iratze’s done its job. They’re still visible, but I don’t mind.” Alec pulled up his shirt to show her, and she nodded in approval. “You guys still looking for the fake informant?” 

It seemed like Ragnor was about to launch into a full explanation of all his theories, and Alec remembered from the academy that Ragnor tended to go on for a long time once he got going, so he quickly turned to Magnus.

“Can I talk to you alone for a minute? Half business, half pleasure?” 

Magnus looked apprehensive, but nodded, leading Alec through to his office and closing the door. “What’s the matter, Alexander?” 

Alec gulped. “Could you sit down?” 

“You have bad news?” Magnus pressed, perching on the edge of his desk. 

“Yes. It’s… Okay. Please don’t be mad at me, I only just found out. The Soul Sword… It isn’t just for telling the truth.” Alec said slowly, and Magnus folded his arms. “It can also be used as a weapon of mass destruction. A-against downworlders.” 

Magnus’ eyebrows twitched, though he said nothing.

“If wielded by someone blessed by the angels, and activated using an energy source, like a bolt of lightning, it…”

“Destroys demon blood.”

“Yes.” Alec nodded, hugging himself tightly. “I’m so sorry, if I’d known, I-”

Magnus lifted his eyes to meet Alec’s. “The sword was forged hundreds of years before either of us were born, Alec, it’s not your fault.” 

“There’s more.” 

“More?” Magnus asked, dread curling deep inside him. 

Alec cleared his throat. “The Iron Sisters had a prophecy given to them, twenty-one years ago. And… Well… It implicates me.”

“What? What did the prophecy say?” 

“The eldest…” Alec’s lip curled. “The eldest girl to illuminate the forest will drive away evil with the sword.” 

“That could mean-”

“Izzy and Clary were also given a vision by the Angel. It showed a person in robes wielding the sword, in deep mourning for a downworlder lover.” Alec rubbed his own arm. “Don’t think any other Lightwoods have ever…”

“No,” Magnus agreed, his eyes dropping to the floor. “I don’t suppose they have. They really…? The angels, they really specified girl?”

“Yep.” Alec nodded. “Hateful pieces of shit.” 

Magnus shook his head, scratching the back of his neck. “I don’t know what to say.”

“You know that I’ll die before I pick up that sword, right?” 

“Don’t say that,” Magnus scolded. 

Alec stepped close, cupping Magnus’ face. “I mean it. I would die before I hurt the downworld. Before I hurt you.”

“Alexander, if the angels are actively against us, there’s no h-”

Alec shook his head, pressing his fingers to Magnus’ lips. “If I have to drag every angel down here by their loincloths to kick all their asses myself, I will. We’ll put down Valentine and then we’ll… I don’t know, seal heaven like they sealed hell. We’ll figure it out. I believe that.” 

Magnus wrapped his fingers around Alec’s wrist, and gently moved Alec’s hand from his mouth. “I know that you’ll do everything in your power to prevent this prophecy from coming true. It’s just… Well, it’s a kick in the nuts. If you’ll pardon the expression.” 

“Yeah,” Alec huffed, scratching his forehead. “You could say that.”

Magnus buried his face in Alec’s neck, his arms winding around his waist. “Please tell me you don’t have to go back to the Institute.” 

Alec sighed. “I wanna stay, but I have to plan Max’s rune ceremony.” 

“Rune ceremony?” Magnus lifted his head. “You mean a party?”

“Yeah. It’s a night to celebrate Max dedicating his life to the angel’s service. Ugh. I feel dirty just saying it.” 

Magnus smiled faintly. “I could help you, if you’d like. I do like planning parties.” 

“You’ve got enough on your plate, I’ve got it, really.” Alec insisted, rubbing Magnus’ back.

“Honestly… I’d like the distraction. I’d much rather be yelling at caterers than sitting here contemplating my impending doom.” 

Alec hummed. “You’re sure?” 

Magnus nodded, smoothing his hands up Alec’s shoulders. “Unless you think it’s inappropriate?”

“No! I’d actually… I’d like that a lot. It would show my family that you, us, it’s real. It’s not going away. That you’re joining the family.” 

Magnus wrinkled his nose, though his eyes were sparkling with endearment. “You realise when I asked you to marry me in the throes of passion, I was kidding.” 

Alec laughed. “No take backsies.” 

He opened his mouth to reply when a small fire erupted in the air over his desk and a scrap of paper burst out of it and fluttered down to rest on the polished wood. Magnus snatched it up, pulling away from Alec as his eyes scanned over the fire message. He cursed under his breath, and rushed past Alec out of the room. 

“The safe house was broken into. Madzie’s gone.” Magnus blurted out once he was in front of Ragnor and Cat, who both quickly conjured their jackets to their hands. 

“We’ve got it, Magnus.” Cat insisted. “You’ve…” Her eyes wandered over to Alec, a little sheepish in her face. “You’ve got enough to deal with right now.”

“You heard?” Magnus’ shoulders slumped.

“Apologies,” Ragnor sighed, “I can’t turn off that particular mark.” 

Magnus waved it away. “I’d have to have told you at some point.”

“Stay here and help Alec plan this party. Ragnor and I will go and check on the Moms and see if we can find a trail to follow.”

“I’ll get Raj to assign a shadowhunter squadron,” Alec promised, pulling out his phone. 

Magnus and Cat both shook their heads. “Madzie’s grown up believing that shadowhunters are the enemy. You and Clary were lucky, you were friendly, but if shadowhunters swoop in with seraph blades drawn she’s going to protect Iris. It’s best if we leave this to Cat and Ragnor, she already knows them.” 

“Yeah, okay,” Alec hated the idea of Madzie being in danger. “What can I do?” 

Ragnor patted Alec’s shoulder. “Stay here and keep our dear leader from going completely round the bend.” 

Magnus snorted. “If you think I’m going to stay here and pick out flowers…”

“Then we’d be right, because that’s exactly what you’re going to do. You haven’t had a second to breathe between Camille’s arrest and Alec’s surgery. Smell some flowers, taste some cakes. We got this.” Catarina insisted.

Magnus knew there was no point in arguing with her about it, so he let them go. 

“They’ll find her.” 

“I hope so.” Magnus latched onto Alec’s side for a cuddle, burying his face in Alec’s shoulder.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Who’s on the phone?” Clary asked, tossing her shirt at the laundry basket and grabbing another one from her drawer.

“Maia,” Izzy answered, twirling a ringlet of hair between her fingers where she sprawled on the bed. “Meliorn’s bringing a second, so I figured the others should do the same.”

Clary hummed, pulling the t-shirt down over her stomach. “That’s cool. Maia’s really passionate about downworlder equality, too, so it makes sense.” 

“Mmmmm, yeah.” Izzy lifted her hands, holding them out in invitation, and Clary smiled, crawling onto the bed next to her to give her a kiss on the head and a cuddle. “I think she was hoping we’d go to that bar together.” 

“We can do that too,” Clary shrugged, “she’s fun, I like her.”

Izzy shifted a little. “It’s not weird that we used to sleep together?”

“What? No!” She twisted a little to look down at her girlfriend. “Babe, if sapphics got mad whenever their girlfriend interacted with one of their exes then like… No sapphics could ever be friends. We all know each other. Turns out I made out with Maia’s friend Chelsea at pride a few years ago. It’s a small, gay world.” 

“Alright, you have a point.” Izzy giggled, nuzzling Clary’s cheek.

“I still think the two of you are crazy for not actually dating, you were clearly into each other.” 

Izzy side-eyed her. “What?” 

Clary smirked. “Oh, come on. I’m not jealous. I think it’s cute.”

“Are you… Angling for a threesome?” 

Clary laughed, looking away to shake her head. “No, not necessarily, but it might be nice to hang out the three of us some more.” 

Izzy pulled away and turned around so they were sitting face to face. “You have a thing for Maia, don’t you?” 

“I think she’s cute, and I like spending time with her. But I’m not about to break up with you or cheat on you, if that’s what you’re worried about. I was just… Curious. Maia mentioned that she was into polyamory and I wondered if that was anything you’d ever thought about.”

“The triad thing?” Izzy asked, and Clary nodded, shrugging one shoulder. 

“I just wondered what you thought. It’s no big deal if you hate the idea.” 

Izzy cuddled back into Clary’s side. “I mean… I don’t know. It just seems insane to me. Being with two people at once. I don’t really… Know how that would work.”

“Me neither,” Clary admitted, running her fingers through Izzy’s hair. “I’ve never done anything like it before. But I don’t know, seeing you and Maia together… I kinda… I like you two together, it feels nice, it being the three of us. I feel like I’ve known her forever.” 

“She’s the sweetest,” Izzy agreed, “and also super flirty. It’s easy to get a crush on her.” 

“Yeah.”

“So… What now?” 

Clary kissed the top of Izzy’s head. “I don’t know. Hang out with her some more? See how it feels?” 

“Should we tell her we’re thinking about asking her out?” Izzy raised her head for a kiss on the lips, which Clary didn’t hesitate to grant.

“It’s up to you.” 

Izzy considered it. “I think we should wait until we know for sure.”

Clary nodded. “Probably a good call.”

“But for now…” Izzy grinned, moving to lie down and pulling Clary over her. “There’s something you forgot to do this morning.” 

Clary’s eyes lit up. “You’re absolutely right.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“I just wanted to give you the option of bringing a second, considering that Luke and Meliorn will have one.” Izzy explained, “wouldn’t be fair otherwise.” 

“I appreciate the thought, Isabelle, but Catarina’s busy at the moment, and the other warlocks are in hiding.” Magnus told her, crossing one knee. “I’m sure I’ll be fine.” 

“Any news on Madzie?” Izzy asked grimly.

Magnus shook his head. “Not yet. The mundane women were left alone, so I’m hoping that Iris just really wanted Madzie back in her care because she cares about her. The alternative is too awful to think about.” 

“I’m sure Madzie’ll be found safe and sound.” Izzy assured him, wishing that he’d let her and Alec help.

“Me too,” Magnus nodded, “we need a win.” 

“We really do,” Izzy agreed. Her fingers tapped at the edges of her teacup. “How are you holding up?”

“I’m fine. I wish people would stop asking me that.” 

“Sorry,” Izzy replied wryly. 

“It’s alright,” Magnus allowed, scooping up the ginger cat that had been staying on his balcony for the past couple of days, running his fingers through its soft fur. “I’m… Irritable, from not drinking. And this party planning has not been as relaxing as Alexander was hoping.”

“Anything I can do to help?”

“My usual caterer was booked, so I’ve had to take my chances with a new one. Trying to find a caterer for Spanish food with a weeks’ notice in New York City is…” Magnus shrugged one shoulder, scritching under the cat’s chin. “A challenge.”

“Spanish food?” Izzy tilted her head to the side. “Why Spanish food?”

Magnus smiled, shifting in his seat to let the cat get comfortable. “Well, the whole point of this party is to bring the family together, isn’t it? So, I asked Alexander for some beloved family stories, and his favourite is how Robert proposed to Maryse during a yin fen raid in Madrid when they thought they were about to die. Adorable, in shadowhunter terms, so I’m told.”

Izzy laughed. “Yeah, that’s like… The Notebook level of romantic for shadowhunters. And Mom does love that story.” She gave Magnus a searching look. “Are you trying to impress her? Because you know she’s never gonna…”

“Mostly I’m trying to show Alec that I’m willing to try if she is.” Magnus explained, his fingers tracing the patterns on his teacup. “I have… Limited faith that Maryse is interested in having any kind of relationship with me.”

“You and me both,” Izzy sighed, “she tried to talk to me about something yesterday, and I could tell it was going to be yet another attempt by her to manipulate me into feeling bad for her, and I just…” She tipped her head back, closing her eyes. “I don’t want to forgive her, Magnus. I’ve had enough.”

Magnus nodded, taking a slow sip of his tea as he considered his next words. “In my experience, grudges can be tiring. But if you can get to the point where the bad feeling is gone, and you simply step away, then… In my experience… That works out best.” 

“So you think I should forgive her.” 

“No, I didn’t say that. I said let the bad feeling die. That doesn’t mean you have to welcome her back into your life with open arms. It could mean telling her that you are not interested in a mother/daughter relationship with her but staying civil. It could mean cutting her off completely. All I’m saying is if you hold onto that hurt and let it turn into hatred, it gets very heavy.” He told her. “But letting it go easier said than done.”

Izzy’s eyebrows scrunched as she thought about Magnus’ words. “How do I let go of it?”

“Time, usually. Talking about your feelings with someone who’s experienced it too. Some people swear by therapy, but, uh… Well.” Magnus smiled sheepishly. “I’ve never been one for opening up to a stranger.”

“I just… I want her to decide whether she’s gonna support us or not. Sometimes, there’s this glimpse of what she could be. But then she goes and does something to fuck up our lives, and I just… It’s so confusing. I want her to pick a side so I know where I stand.” 

Magnus nodded. “It’s hard.”

“Which do you think it is?” 

“Which what?” 

Izzy sighed, running her fingers through her hair. “Do you think she cares about us, or do you think she’s just using us?” 

“I think she loves you and Alec very much. But I also think she’s put all her faith in the Clave rather than in you. But… I don’t doubt that she genuinely cares about you and Alec. That much was obvious when Alec was sleeping and you were on the run. She packed a bag full of clothes and weapons for me to give to you. She never wanted to hand you over to the Clave, she wanted you to escape.” Magnus told her.

“She did?” Izzy asked quietly.

“Yes. I was… Surprised. She said that lately her perspective changed. So… It might be worth hearing out what she has to say. If she disappoints you, then you have a whole life to cut her off. But if I were you, I’d always be curious if I didn’t hear her out.” 

Izzy smiled a little. “You’re very wise.”

“I spent two hundred years being a fool. If I weren’t wise by now, I’d be dead.” Magnus chuckled.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“At the residence of Magnus Bane?” Maryse’s face looked sour upon reading her invitation to Max’s party. 

“Yes, Magnus has kindly opened his home for us to have the party there.” Alec said evenly. 

Maryse folded the invitation up slowly. “Well, as much I appreciate your… His hospitality, the rune ceremony is a sacred and stoic shadowhunter tradition, not a… downworlder rave.” 

“Oh, I must have missed the part where it said rave,” Alec replied, taking the invitation out of her hands and scanning it pointedly. “No, it just says ‘Max Lightwood’s rune ceremony celebration. No mention of a rave.”

“Alec…”

“Magnus is trying to show his respect for our traditions and ways of life. It would only be fair not to turn your nose up at his olive branch.” 

“Only shadowhunters attend these parties, it’s tradition.” Maryse argued.

“Traditions change. Especially those based on ignorance.” Alec answered coolly. 

“Your father won’t like it.” Maryse reminded him.

Alec huffed. “My father won’t be here. And I couldn’t give a damn what he thinks, anyway.” He remembered Max’s words, and bit back the questions he could feel shaping on his tongue. He didn’t care. He didn’t.

Maryse pinched the bridge of her nose. “Alright. Alright. Fine. But I hope you appreciate the effort that I’m making to make things right between us.” 

“I do. But if you want to make amends, you’re also going to have to make up with Izzy.” 

“I’ve been trying to talk to her, she’s not i-”

“Try harder.” Alec pressed. “She deserves an apology. A real apology.”

“I know, Alec.” Maryse put her face in her hands. “I know she does.”

“Make it right with Izzy, and you’ll make it right with me.” Alec promised, wondering if he’d overdone it. “I have patrol. I’ll see you later.”

Maryse didn’t look up as he made his way out of the office, and she sat very still for a very long time.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“You’re gonna do great, babe. I know it. You have nothing to be nervous about. Everyone’s there working towards the same goal, and you’re gonna help them do it because you are smart and compassionate and one hell of a diplomat.” Clary told Izzy, their eyes meeting in the mirror as Clary zipped up the back of Izzy’s dress. She pressed her lips to Izzy’s shoulder. “You got this.”

Izzy nodded, wringing her hands together. “I got this.”

“Yes, you do.” 

“Kiss for good luck?” Izzy asked, turning around, and Clary kissed her softly on the lips. Izzy hummed, pressing their foreheads together when they broke apart. “Okay, I’m good.”

“Go and give the Clave hell.” Clary encouraged, and Izzy grinned, heading out to catch her ride with Luke.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“The bottom line is Aldertree needs to go.” Magnus insisted. “We can all agree on that, can’t we?” 

“Aldertree has committed no crime against the Seelie Court. I don’t see why he is our problem.” Meliorn stated. “When was the last time any of your people assisted the Queen when her realm has been threatened?” 

“None of us was alive the last time the Queen went to war.” Luke pointed out, “except for Magnus.” 

Meliorn raised his chin. “My point still stands.” 

“If the Seelie Court doesn’t want to involve themselves in this Council, then of course they have that right,” Izzy told him calmly. “But that also means that Seelie interests won’t be represented at this table.”

“You’re part of the downworld whether you like it or not, Meliorn. It’s time the Queen started acting like it.” Maia gritted out.

“What do you actually plan to do about Aldertree, anyway? From what Clary says, you guys aren’t exactly in the Clave’s good graces right now.” Simon asked Izzy.

“And they sure as hell won’t listen to our complaints.” Raphael huffed.

“No-one is suggesting that we petition the Clave.” Izzy assured them all. “I was thinking we could use more… Devious measures.”

“And risk enraging the Clave?” Luke scoffed. “No way. We’ve already got it bad enough with Valentine.”

“This isn’t going to be an overnight thing, Lucian.” Magnus reminded him, “this is the first time we’re meeting. Correct me if I’m wrong, Isabelle, but wasn’t the purpose of tonight to get on the same page in regards to Aldertree and the Clave’s behaviour?” 

“Yes,” Izzy confirmed, giving Magnus a grateful smile. “None of us have a clear cut solution, but we have a better chance of getting rid of Aldertree if we all work together.”

“I can agree that Aldertree is a problem that needs solving.” Raphael said, “and I am willing to work with this Council to remove him from his position.”

“Yeah, we vamps agree on that.” Simon nodded, “we’re in.” 

Luke looked at Maia, who nodded. “We also want Aldertree gone. The last thing we need at a time like this is a bigot in charge of the Institute.”

“The warlocks will support any effort to remove Aldertree, provided it doesn’t compromise the freedoms we already enjoy.” Magnus explained. “I can’t risk imprisonment or punishment for any of my people.” 

“The Seelies will not be involving themselves in this dispute.” Meliorn announced, nodding to his second and getting up from his seat.

“Have you forgotten that my brother and I saved you from being tortured by the Clave not three months ago, Meliorn?” Izzy made sure her voice was neutral, though annoyance was rising in her. “That might not have been Aldertree personally but he has the exact same attitude as Lydia did. How long until another one of your people is blamed for a crime they didn’t commit?”

Meliorn’s eyes narrowed, and everyone else in the room looked between his gaze and Izzy’s. 

“I will speak to the Queen.” 

“That’s all I ask, Meliorn.” Izzy nodded, her shoulders relaxing a little. “Does anyone else have anything they want to say, or are we done?” 

Everyone stayed quiet or shrugged, and Izzy smiled slightly. “Alright. Same time next week? Bring some ideas, leverage, contacts to the table. We’ll see where we go from there.” 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Magnus was about an eight on the stress scale, if the stress scale went from one to ten, and Alec could sense it. He came up behind his boyfriend while Magnus was organising the napkins at the buffet table to give him a little squeeze.

“The coat hangers are primed and ready.” Alec murmured, nuzzling into the crook of Magnus’ neck. “What’s my next job?” 

“Mmmm… Touch my ass and tell me I did a good job.” 

Alec chuckled, squeezing Magnus’ butt as he brushed his lips up the back of the other man’s neck. “Everything looks perfect. You outdid yourself, love.”

Magnus leaned back into Alec’s embrace, smiling a little. “Thank you. And now your next job is to go and feed the cats.” 

“Got it. Time check?” He wrapped his fingers around Magnus’ wrist and lifted his hand to look at his watch. “Alright, we’ve got about twenty minutes until the first wave of people show up.”

“Yes, we’re just about done. I just need to brief the waiters and the bar staff and we’ll be set.” He glanced at the door right before there was a knock, and pulled away from Alec. “That’ll be Maia.”

“Hi, I’m here to sell out.” Maia beamed sarcastically as Magnus opened the door. 

“Oh, it’s not all bad. I’m paying you double what you usually make.” 

Maia hummed, tying the bow that had been hanging limply around her neck. “I also really like this outfit.”

“You can keep it, I am definitely never going to use it again. It’s not my size.” Magnus teased, leading her through to the bar. “I’m leaving you in charge, because I know your cocktails are divine. I put a chart of all the faces of the underage people here,” Magnus leaned over the bar to touch the laminated list, “so you don’t need to ID.”

“Got it. This place looks amazing!” 

“Well, this is the first time that Maryse is coming to my home, and my first time meeting Max, so everything has to be perfect.” Magnus insisted, fiddling with his ear cuff, straightening it for the fifth time in as many minutes. 

“You know that Alec will still like you if his Mom doesn’t, right?” Maia checked, rubbing his arm. “It’s gonna be okay.” 

“I second that,” Alec promised, appearing behind Magnus. “You’ve thought of everything, it’s like, ten times better than me and Iz’s parties, and even if it was the worst party in the world, I’d still be proud to be your boyfriend.” His hands massaged Magnus’ shoulders gently. “You’ve got this.” 

“You’re right. I’ve thrown parties for F. Scott Fitzgerald, I don’t need to be scared of Maryse Lightwood’s opinion.” 

“Damn straight!” Maia enthused. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“So we’re gonna hit on Maia and see what happens?” Clary checked as they strolled down the hallway outside Magnus’ loft. 

“Exactly. See how we feel. If it feels weird, then we just shrug it off and forget it. If it feels good… Well, we’ll talk about it.”

“Right.”

Izzy smiled, giving Clary a kiss on the cheek. “No pressure on anybody.” 

“Except me. Keep an eye on me, don’t let your Mom corner me.” Clary grimaced. She hadn’t spoken to Maryse since she and Izzy had gotten together, and while for the last few weeks Maryse had been distracted by Alec’s recovery, there was nowhere to hide tonight. 

“Alec said that she’s going to try to make it right with us so I’m sure she’ll be fine.” Izzy assured her, squeezing her hand. “You’ll be fine.”

“Alright.” Clary sighed, hesitating in front of the door.

Izzy smiled. “You’ve never been this nervous when faced with a fight.”

“Yeah, well, in a fight I can just kill the problem. And I’m guessing you’d dump me if I killed this problem.” 

Izzy giggled. “You’re so twisted sometimes.”

Clary smirked, her eyes glinting. “You always liked a bad girl.” 

“You’re absolutely right,” Izzy agreed, booping Clary’s nose. “But you’ve got to pretend to be a good girl tonight.” 

Clary hummed, making a cross over her heart, and opened the door.

The room was frantic with life, with upbeat Spanish folk ringing out from the quartet in the corner near the balcony, right next to the bar. There were people everywhere, chatting and laughing. There was a small dancefloor where Raj was already dancing with a shadowhunter woman that Izzy didn’t recognise. When a small knot of people moved away from the bar, Izzy caught sight of Maia, and gave her a little wave. 

“Where’s Alec and Magnus?” Clary asked, craning her neck. 

Magnus appeared in the kitchen door, looking harassed, and the two women made their way over to him. 

“I knew that I should have just magicked food straight from Madrid.” Magnus grumbled, and as Izzy and Clary got closer they saw Alec just inside the kitchen door, tasting something. 

“Babe, it still tastes amazing.” Alec assured him.

Magnus huffed. “It’s not authentic.” 

“To be fair,” Izzy piped up, which made Magnus turn around. “Max has never been to Madrid. And his palate is basically confined to telling the difference between Mcdonald’s in America and in China.”

“Exactly,” Alec pointed at his sister, putting his hands on Magnus’ shoulders. “You did amazing. Everything is great. Max is going to love it. And my Mom will be very impressed.”

“Yeah, this is gonna blow her mind. All I got was like twenty balloons and slow-cooked ragu.” Izzy smiled, and Magnus softened a little. 

“Really?”

“Middle child,” Izzy shrugged.

“See? Izzy had a terrible childhood,” Alec insisted, which made Izzy glare at him. 

Magnus chuckled. “I’m spinning, aren’t I?”

“A bit, yeah.” Clary told him, and he nodded. 

“Okay. I need a drink.”

“Babe, you’ve been sober for like-”

“For around three hours.” Magnus answered, slipping a finger under his collar. “I’m fine,” he insisted, under the concerned looks of the other three. “Really! I’m fine!” 

He didn’t wait for Alec’s response, making a beeline for the bar. 

“I can’t believe he had a drink.” Alec muttered, looking at his boyfriend across the room with wide eyes. “This was too much pressure, I shouldn’t have let him throw this party.” 

“Listen,” Clary grabbed Alec’s tie, tugging on it to get his attention. “Addiction is tough. A friend of mine in high school had alcohol problems, too. And if there’s one thing I learned when I was supporting her was that relapse happens. He did well to last as long as he did. Focus on that. He can start again tomorrow, hmm?” 

Alec nodded, glancing back at Magnus, who was talking to Maia, looking a little more relaxed with a martini in his hand. He sighed, his eyebrow quirking when Magnus straightened up and looked at the door. He watched as Magnus downed his martini and turned his head to make eye contact with him, inclining his head towards the door.

They met in the middle of the room right as Maryse and Max came through the door, and Magnus glanced at Alec.

“He’s going to love it.” Alec promised, reaching for Magnus’ hand and pulling him towards his Mom and brother. 

For a moment, it was awkward as the three adults stared at each other, Max looking up at them with vague amusement. Maryse thrust a bottle at Magnus stiffly, her eyes wide like she was scared of what she was about to say.

“I heard you like to drink,” she blurted out, and Alec’s mouth fell open in horror.

“Ah,” Magnus smiled, taking the bottle from her. Their fingers brushed, and Maryse didn’t recoil in disgust, which let Magnus relax a little. “Thank you. Oh, and it’s the good stuff. Nice taste.” 

“I think that we have a love of cocktails in common,” Maryse said breathlessly, and Alec raised his hand to his face, rubbing at his forehead. 

Magnus smiled at her. “Well, Maia from the Hunter’s Moon is the best mixologist I know and she just happens to be here.” 

“Oh,” Maryse nodded, “that’s nice.” She looked around the room, a slightly unsettled smile on her face. “I see you and Alec’s dinner last week left you with a lot of inspiration.”

Alec’s stomach twisted into knots.

“Our dinner?” Magnus repeated, glancing at Alec, who was trying to communicate not to- “We’ve not visited Madrid together yet.” 

Maryse pressed her lips together into a line and looked at Alec, who just covered his face with his hand. “I see.”

Magnus looked between mother and son with confusion. “No, no, this theme is in honour of you and Robert. I hear that he proposed to you in a battle in Madrid. It’s a lovely story.” He explained politely.

“How heartwarming, that Alec feels comfortable enough to share such… Intimate details about me and my husband.” Maryse gritted out, her cheeks pink. 

“Anyway!” Alec forced out. “Max, how d’you like it?”

Max grinned up at him. “This is awesome.”

“This night is all for you, Max.” Magnus told him, holding out his fist for a bump, and Max looked at it for a moment, before tentatively putting his knuckles against Magnus’. “So a sangria for the lady,” Magnus nodded at Maryse, “and a coke for the guest of honour?” 

“Do you have Red Bull?” Max asked, his eyes lighting up.

“No way,” Alec and Maryse said at the same time.

Max wrinkled his nose, meeting Magnus’ smiling eyes. “I guess a coke would be okay.”

Because Izzy was a great parabatai, she appeared next to Alec when they headed over to the bar with Max’s present in her hands. The youngest Lightwood’s eyes lit up when he saw the box, and for a few minutes the pressure was off Magnus and Alec while Max tore open his present. He gasped when he saw the custom seraph dagger, his eyes wide as he traced the blade with his fingers.

“This is awesome.” He muttered. 

Magnus hitched up his trousers a little and crouched so he was at the same eye level as Max. “You want your present from Alexander and I?” 

Max nodded, his eyes scanning over both men to look for the box. “Where is it?” 

“It’s right here,” Magnus teased, holding out his empty hands. Max quirked his eyebrow in exactly the same way that Alec did when he was confused, and Magnus smiled, conjuring the wrapped present into his hands. Max jumped, his eyes popping out of his head. 

“You really are… A warlock.” 

That surprised Magnus a little, and he felt Alec tense behind him. 

“Where’s your mark?” Max asked curiously.

“Max,” Alec warned, but Magnus held up his hand. 

“I only show my close friends my mark.” Magnus explained, “do you want to see it?” 

His eyes darted up at Maryse when Max nodded. Maryse looked a little curious despite herself, so Magnus dropped his glamour, exposing his golden cat eyes. Where he’d been expecting to see wonder, like he had in Alec’s face, he saw fear, and his heart sank.

“How much of you is a demon?” Max whispered, his eyes locked with Magnus’.

“Maxwell!” Izzy yelped, putting her hand on Magnus’ shoulder. “We don’t speak to our friends that way.” 

“You can’t tell me what to do,” Max answered snottily, “you’re a disgrace to shadowhunters.” 

Magnus straightened up as awkward silence descended on the group, and Izzy looked at her mother, betrayal shimmering in her eyes. Alec was shocked into silence. After a long moment, Izzy stormed off, her hand over her mouth. 

“How dare you say that to Izzy?” Alec hissed, putting his hands on his hips. “Why would you say something like that, Max?!” 

Max wrinkled his nose. “Whatever. I’m hungry.” He hastily went in search of food, leaving Alec glaring at his mother.

“You taught him that.” Alec spat.

“Alec, he-”

“He never had that attitude before he went back to live with you and Dad.” 

Maryse shook her head. “It’s the aca-”

“If you want to make things right with me,” Alec said slowly, “make things right with Izzy.”

Magnus was left alone with Maryse when Alec stormed off in the same direction that Izzy had gone, and the two looked at each other for a long moment. They didn’t say anything, both too shocked to speak, and slowly turned away from each other, wandering off in different directions. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Clary hadn’t fancied getting in the middle of whatever tense shit was going down with the Lightwoods, so she busied herself chatting with some shadowhunters she’d seen around the Institute. Izzy had told her to count half an hour and then come and rescue her for a dance. She glanced down at her phone and noticed that it was time to find her girlfriend. 

When she turned around to look across the room, Clary saw that Izzy was already on the dancefloor.

Making out with Simon.

For half a moment, Clary just stared at them, unable to understand what she was seeing. Had Izzy and Simon ever even talked? In a matter of seconds, though, the disbelief melted into rage, and she clenched her jaw, lunging towards the pair.

A heavy weight caught around her waist, and Magnus stepped in front of her. 

“Hey there, biscuit, where do you think you’re going?” He asked, his eyebrows furrowed.

“I’m going to pull my girlfriend off my best friend.” Clary gritted out.

Magnus narrowed his eyes. “What?”

“Izzy and Simon are hooking up!” 

“What?!” 

Clary shook her head, running her hand through her hair. “Let me go, I gotta…”

“No, no, no, this is a classy affair, not ‘The Real Housewives of Idris.’ You and Izzy can talk this through tomorrow once this is over.” Magnus insisted. “I’m sure it’s a big misunderstanding.”

“She had her tongue in Simon’s mouth!” Clary yelled.

“Are you sure? I can’t see Izzy… I mean… No offense to Simon, but… I mean… He’s… Not exactly… Kissing material.” Magnus said slowly.

Clary pursed her lips. “What, you think I’m making it up?!” 

“No, no, it’s just… Wait here. Calm. No punching Simon in my house.” 

Clary huffed, folding her arms, but stayed put when Magnus pulled away from her. He looked around for Izzy and Simon. Izzy was nowhere to be seen, but Simon was on the dancefloor, talking to Raj. Their heads were close together, and Raj’s eyes were on Simon’s mouth. Simon looked like he was blabbering nervously, and Magnus glanced around again for a sign of Izzy. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Izzy was trying to get a hold of herself in Magnus’ study when she heard the door click shut behind her. She spun around to see her Mom standing there, looking down her nose, as always. 

“I think it’s time that you and I had a little talk,” Maryse said evenly, and Izzy swallowed hard. 

“If you don’t want me to be a part of the family anymore, just kick me out. Disown me. Take away my name. I can’t deal with this uncertainty anymore.” Izzy could feel tears swimming hot in her eyes, but she sniffed them back. “I won’t apologise for the actions I’ve taken. So just say it. Say you don’t want me anymore.” 

Maryse stepped towards her. “Isabelle, I couldn’t possibly disown you.” 

Izzy was surprised to hear it, but relief flooded through her so quickly it left her breathless.

“It would bring shame on the family. It’s better if you die in a random demon attack, like Jocelyn.” Maryse said quietly, bringing her hand around from behind her back holding an axe. Izzy’s instincts made her duck, her body running on auto-pilot, because she sure as hell couldn’t process the fact that her own mother had tried to kill her.

She landed an elbow in Maryse’s face and sent her sprawling, kicking the axe away across the floor. When she turned back, ready for a fight, she was surprised to see that her Mom was unconscious. 

“What happened?” Magnus gasped, crossing the room to Maryse’s side.

“Stay away from her, Magnus, she just… She tried to…” Izzy’s throat thickened, and Magnus looked up at her with a question in his eyes. “She tried to kill me.”

“What?!” 

“With an axe. She said it was better that I died rather than get disowned…” She explained, voice wavering. 

Magnus squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, his brain reeling. “But you were just out there, k-”

“Look, the axe is right there, if you don’t believe me! She’s lost it!” 

Magnus glanced over to where Izzy was pointing, and saw only a broken glass. “Izzy… There’s nothing there. There’s no axe.” He turned his attention back to Maryse, fixing her concussion with a simple snap of his fingers.

“What are you doing, don’t help her!” Izzy yelped, drawing her seraph dagger.

“Hey, hey,” Magnus put his hands up as Maryse came round. “Listen to me, Isabelle. Someone is messing with your mind. You’re hallucinating. You’re okay.”

“Is this some kind of trick to make yourself look like a hero?” Maryse asked Magnus, “what did you do to my daughter?!”

“It’s not just Izzy, it’s Clary too.” Magnus told her, politely ignoring her suspicion. “I think someone is trying to cause a fight between the shadowhunters here.” 

In the distance, somewhere above them, Clary’s desperate voice rang out, one word unmistakable.

“ALEC!” 

Magnus, Maryse and Izzy looked at each other and ran towards the sound of Clary’s voice on the roof.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Right after Magnus had disappeared after Izzy, Alec had found Clary looking upset in the middle of the room. 

“What’s up, Fray? You look pissed.” 

Clary sneered, shrugging off the hand he’d put on her shoulder. “Of course I’m pissed. Seeing you here, playing happy families, like nothing happened.”

“Wh-” 

“Did you forget already, Alec? Did you forget how you murdered my Mom?” 

Alec shook his head, his eyes wide. “Clary, no… No, no, I wouldn’t-”

“Save it.” Clary spat, taking a step closer to him. Alec stepped backwards. “You swan around your boyfriend’s fancy loft, drinking cocktails, laughing, happy and smiling, ignoring how you made me hurt. How you were too weak to keep out a demon. You deserve to hurt like I hurt.” 

Alec swallowed hard. “I know. I know you blame me, Clary, but I tried. I’m sorry. I should be dead instead of her.” 

“You’re damn right you should be.” 

His heart racing, Alec had stumbled away, running towards the stairs that would take him to the roof.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Magnus was the first to burst through the door on the roof, and reached out with his magic to catch Alec’s tipping body before he could think about it. He put Alec to sleep as he carefully brought him down to sit against the wall, and Maryse and Izzy ran to his side. 

“What happened?!” Maryse demanded, cradling Alec’s face in her hands. 

“H-he asked me what was wrong, and I started telling him about Izzy and then he started saying all this weird stuff about my Mom, that he deserved to... “ Clary swallowed heavily. “And he ran up here and climbed up, and I tried to stop him but the closer I got the more he freaked out!”

“You take your hands off him,” Izzy growled at her mother, “you’ll hurt him even more.” 

“What are you talking about?!” Maryse gasped. “This is clearly some… Some warlock trickery!”

Magnus watched as the three women descended into arguments, shaking his head. “All of you, be quiet!” He shouted, and they all looked up at him. “I agree, Maryse. I think this is some, as you say, warlock trickery. Someone is trying to distract us. Stay here, and be quiet. I’ll be right back.” 

Needless to say, all of them ignored him and went right back to yelling at each other next to Alec’s sleeping form as Magnus went back downstairs to get his book of counterspells. It would be easy to reverse the hallucinogenic effects once he had the right incantation. Ignoring the revelry still going on at the party, Magnus marched back up the roof and flicked open his spellbook, fingers running along handwritten words until he found the old French spell he’d been thinking of.

Once he’d done the incantation, he held out his hand and dragged the spell from Maryse, Clary, Izzy and Alec into his hand and crushed it in his palm. As soon as his hand closed, the three women seemingly snapped out of their anger, and blinked at each other, confused. 

“It was Raj kissing Simon,” Clary breathed, rubbing Izzy’s arm. “I am so sorry. Of course you’d never kiss Simon.” 

“Kiss Simon?” Izzy repeated, raising her eyebrows. 

Clary huffed out a laugh and hugged her. Izzy squeezed her briefly before turning to her Mom. 

“You were handing me a glass of water to help me calm down. I… I’m sorry, Mom. I know you’d never physically hurt me like that.” She murmured, and Maryse pulled her into a hug. Izzy’s arms stayed by her sides, distracted by the fact that Alec was coming around, groaning softly. 

“What happened?” 

“Alec,” Clary knelt down next to him. “We were hit by a hallucinogenic spell, I am-”

Magnus, satisfied that his counterspell had been successful, snapped his book shut, only for it to disappear from his hands. Outrage made his eyes widen, and he threw up his wards. “Someone has stolen my counterspells.” He gritted out. “No-one leaves until I find out who.” 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“This is not how I imagined this party ending.” Raj observed as he and Magnus checked the last guest, opening the front door for them to leave.

“Is that everyone? Are you sure?” Magnus asked, and Raj nodded.

“Everyone except us.” Raj eyed Maryse suspiciously where she was talking to Alec and Izzy in the living room, and Magnus had to admit that he wondered for a moment, too. “As acting head of the Institute, I promise I’ll get a team on locating your counterspells right away.” 

“First Madzie, now this.” Magnus brought his fingers up to rub at his forehead. If he was mortal he’d surely have a headache. Suddenly it came to him, and his head snapped up. “Madzie… French spells…” He narrowed his eyes. “The red-haired cat.”

Raj looked at him like he was speaking French. Magnus went back into the living room and glanced around.

“Did you find the warlock?” Alec asked.

“No,” Magnus said, projecting his voice a little so Iris would hear him wherever she was hiding, “I guess we’re going to have to report this to the Clave. No point doing it now, I think we may as well FEED THE CATS and go to bed.” Magnus jabbed his head in the direction of the bedroom, and the shadowhunters got up slowly and followed him through the loft.

“What is the meaning of this?” Maryse whispered as they approached Magnus’ bed.

Clary pointed to a lump in the covers, and Magnus nodded at her.

They tore up the sheet to reveal an angry ginger cat, who leapt off the bed and took off across the room. Magnus blasted it with a revealing spell and it turned into Iris Rouse, who wasted no time in turning on Magnus and the shadowhunters.

She threw a freezing charm, which Magnus blocked with a magical shield, and headed for the door. Magnus straightened up, annoyed that she’d managed to ruin Max’s party and make him look foolish in front of his guests. He’d fed her organic cat milk, for Christ’s sake.

It didn’t take Magnus long to pin her down with his magic, the orange bonds tight around her hands and ankles, holding her aloft near the balcony. She hissed in pain as his magic squeezed her, and he clenched his jaw.

“Let the shadowhunters go.” Magnus demanded, and Iris glanced at the bedroom door. A moment later, Izzy, Alec, Clary, Maryse and Raj came through into the living room, all shaking off Iris’ spell. “Now give me back my counterspells.”

Iris shook her head. “You have to find Madzie.” 

“I’m looking for her.” 

“No, you are not.” Iris snarled. “Valentine has her and he’s twisting her mind more and more every day. I will give you back your counterspells, High Warlock, if you swear to me that you’ll find Madzie.”

Magnus hated to cave to her demands, but it wasn’t like he wasn’t already trying to find Madzie. “I give you my word that I’ll do everything I can to find Madzie.”

Iris moved her fingers and Magnus’ book of counterspells appeared on the coffee table. “Now let me go.” 

Magnus huffed. “I never said I was going to let you go.” 

He opened a portal behind her to the Gard and tossed her through it, closing the portal behind her with a flourish. 

“Damn.” Raj said, and Magnus relaxed. 

“It’s what she deserves after what she put those mundane women through.” Magnus insisted.

“I agree,” Maryse announced, and everyone looked at her. “I have to admit, Magnus, your judgement this evening has been impeccable.” 

Alec smiled, looking between Magnus and his mother. “Yeah, he’s great, right?” 

Maryse glanced at Izzy. “Isabelle? Can we talk now? Please” She begged, and Izzy nodded. Looking around, Maryse fixed her eyes on Magnus’ balcony, and after a nod from him, headed for the doors.

Izzy let her mother lead the way. Maryse didn’t speak for what felt like a long time, not until the balcony doors were fully shut.

“I’ve never been a good mother to you.” She confessed. “There’s no excuse for that. I know that I could stand here and tell you that I was ambitious, that I prioritised the greater good, that I did everything for you and Alec’s futures, but none of that matters. I see that now. All that matters is how you and Alec feel about me, and…” Maryse’s face crumpled a little, and Izzy’s instincts were to apologise, but she bit it back. Both of them needed to hear this. “You really thought that I would kill you. That I hate you. I am so sorry that I ruined our relationship, Isabelle. It’s my fault. I was a terrible mother and a terrible wife.”

“Mom…”

“I was cowardly, I’ve been cowardly all my life, trying not to rock the boat to make sure you and Alec got the best chance you could but what I should have been doing was fighting the Clave to make space for you, not trying to tear you down to fit their molds. I did everything wrong. Everything. And I just…” She pressed her lips together, clenching her fists at her sides as a couple of tears spilled over. “I’m sorry.”

Izzy swiped at her eyes. “I believe you, Mom.” 

“You and Alec are everything that I wish I could be.” Maryse told her, taking Izzy’s shoulders in her hands. “Despite my best efforts, you forged your own values, you learned to think for yourselves, and I am so proud of that. I am so proud of the woman you’ve become, and I will never forgive myself for not seeing it sooner. You are everything that I ever wanted for you, and you scare the hell out of me, because…” She laughed, shaking her head. “You are going to change everything that I take for granted about how my world works. But it’s time that I stopped trying to stop you, because your actions have been just from day one. From now on, I am on your side. You hear me?” 

Izzy nodded, and threw her arms around Maryse’s neck, hugging her tightly for the first time since she was a child.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Raj and Magnus went into Magnus’ office to record an official statement on the night’s events, leaving Alec and Clary alone in the living room. Clary sat on the couch, and patted the space next to her.

“Come here, Alec.” 

Alec didn’t look at her as he sat down, rubbing his knees nervously. “I’m sorry.” He said, his voice so quiet it was barely audible.

“I thought you already knew this, but I realised tonight that I never said it out loud. So… Could you look at me?” She asked, swallowing hard when he swivelled around to face her. “My Mom’s death was not your fault. I don’t blame you at all. I never, ever blamed you for a second. Whatever you heard me say tonight was not true. You’re my friend, Alec, and I would never want you to hurt yourself because of what happened to my Mom.” 

“It feels like it’s my fault,” Alec admitted, clenching his jaw to keep the tears at bay.

Clary sniffed, catching a couple of tears of her own with her fingertips. “Well, it’s not. And if you’d fallen… If you’d killed yourself over this, I don’t know what I would’ve done. I really don’t.” 

“I wouldn’t do that if I were in my right mind, I promise.” 

Clary leaned over and hugged him, burying her face in his shirt. “I can’t lose anybody else, Alec. Please look after yourself. I’m sorry I let you think all that.”

“What? No, Clary,” Alec pulled her so he could meet her eyes. “Don’t apologise to me for not coddling me when you’re the one who lost your Mom. You have nothing to apologise for, this is all me. Okay? This is my problem, my issue to work through. You don’t owe me anything.” 

Clary nodded, swiping at more tears, and Alec hugged her tightly.

“We’ll be okay, yeah?” She whispered over his shoulder. 

“Yeah, we’ll be okay.” He promised.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Izzy and Maryse came back into the living room with smudged eye make-up, their arms linked. Butterflies were tickling Izzy’s stomach, nerves that her Mom was about to turn around and take it all back, but for the first time, she felt hopeful for their relationship. Alec and Clary were also looking teary where they were sat on the couch, and when Magnus and Raj reappeared, they joined the Lightwoods and Clary for one last drink. 

Alec side-eyed Magnus as he sipped his whiskey, but said nothing. Magnus felt like the hairs on the back of his neck were standing up with the way Alec was looking at him, but he was too tired to care. 

“I have something to tell you,” Maryse blurted out, putting her glass down on the coffee table next to Magnus’ spellbook. 

“I should be getting back to the Institute.” Raj heaved himself up to his feet. “I’ll see you all tomorrow. Thanks for the great party, Magnus.” 

Magnus raised his hand to wave to Raj as everyone murmured their goodbyes. “I should go and tidy up the kitchen. Biscuit, a hand?” He asked pointedly, and Clary nodded, hot on his heels. He didn’t want to be present for whatever teary heart-to-heart that was about to happen, and judging by the relief on Clary’s face, she didn’t either.

Maryse had her hands folded together in her lap, and she sniffed as the kitchen door closed quietly behind Magnus and Clary. “This isn’t easy for me to tell you. I’m… I’m very embarrassed. But gossip is spreading, and I don’t want you to find out from someone else, like you did about our past in the Circle.” 

“What is it?” Alec asked, sitting on the very edge of the sofa. 

“Your father… He’s, um… He’s… Strayed.” Maryse rasped, her knuckles going white with how hard she squeezed her own hands. 

“As in… Cheated?” Izzy gasped, wrapping her arms around herself. 

“Bastard.” Alec hissed, getting to his feet. “He cheated on you?!”

“For seven years.” Maryse admitted. “With Serena Hawkblue.” 

Alec shook his head. “I’m gonna beat his ass.”

“It’s fine.” Maryse insisted, tugging the tie out of her hair and shaking it free. “We haven’t been a real couple for a very long time. We’ve been… Business partners. And we’ll continue to be.”

“Like fuck you will!” Izzy scoffed, moving to sit next to Maryse. “You don’t have to go back to him.” 

Maryse sighed, cupping Izzy’s face in her hand. “Yes, I do. Your whole life I’ve been compromising your comfort to keep you safe from the Clave. It’s time for me to put aside my own comfort to secure your future. If I divorce your father, you and Alec will lose your status. I can’t allow that.” 

“Mom, we’ll do fine by ourselves,” Alec assured her. “You don’t have to do this.” 

Maryse smiled tearfully, holding out her hand for Alec to take. She squeezed his fingers. “Eventually, Robert will be forced to divorce me, when the gossip reaches the Consul. He will be the one to take the disgrace. Until then, I have to, as our friends the Blackthorns say in London, keep a stiff upper lip. I’ll be fine.”

Alec and Izzy glanced at each other, and each hugged her from the side, encasing her in their arms.

“Gracias, Mamá.” Alec whispered, kissing her hair.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“I can’t believe you really thought I’d kiss Simon,” Izzy cackled later that night as she and Clary walked home, Maryse having portalled back to the Institute already to put Max to bed.

Clary smiled at her feet, shaking her head. “I really should’ve realised I was seeing things right there and then.”

“I wouldn’t kiss Simon if he was the last man on Earth.” Izzy snorted. “No offense.”

“Oh, none taken. I feel the same way. I love him as a friend and all but… No.”

Izzy squeezed Clary’s hand. “So… The magic didn’t show you me kissing Maia, who would have been a lot more realistic.” 

Clary shrugged, swinging their intertwined hands between them. “Probably because it wouldn’t have bothered me all that much. I mean, I’d have been kinda grumpy that you didn’t talk to me about it first, but…” She hummed, “I’d have gotten over that annoyance pretty quickly.”

“In all the drama, we didn’t actually get to talk to Maia.” 

“Maybe we should organise that night out.” 

Izzy smiled. “It’s funny, all this stuff with Maia… It’s made me feel so much closer to you. I like that we can be open about it without worrying about being misunderstood.”

“It’s easy to trust you, Iz.” Clary murmured, looking over at her girlfriend. “Because I love you.” 

It wasn’t the first time that someone had said those words to Izzy, but it was the first time that she’d never questioned her response. “I love you too, Clary.” 

They hadn’t even broken step, and both looked down at the pavement, grinning and sheepish, their hands still swinging between them as they walked back towards home.


	9. Episode 9: Bound by Blood

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only two chapters left!! This chapter focuses a lot more on the downworlders than the shadowhunters, so it feels a little different. I hated writing it, I'm not going to lie to you, but reading it back was really fun. I hope you like it. 
> 
> I'm still deliberating on whether or not to continue with the next instalment of this series. Engagement (ie kudos, bookmarks and reviews) have been down a lot, and I'm unsure whether the demand for this version of 2B is really there. So, if you want to see 2B, please comment or bookmark. I don't want to commit to another 200,000 word project if no-one wants to read it!
> 
> Trigger warnings!
> 
> Discussion of suicidal tendencies/suicidal ideation: Alec talks about the fact that he’s had passing suicidal feelings for as long as he can remember, but that he’s not in any immediate danger from them, and promised to tell Magnus if the thoughts turned dangerous.
> 
> Threats of violence: Meliorn and Raphael suggest killing Clary and Alec to stop the soul sword from being activated, and Luke retaliates with threats of his own.
> 
> Institutionalised racism: Aldertree sends Alec and Clary to stay with Magnus and Luke for ‘protection’, but is only really interested in keeping Valentine’s interest away from the Institute. He openly admits that he would prefer to put Magnus and the New York pack at risk than the shadowhunters. Additionally, it is revealed that Ragnor is being used as a scapegoat for a shadowhunter’s actions. Later on in the chapter, Magnus points out the the Clave won’t listen to a downworlder’s testimony if it is against a shadowhunter.
> 
> Ableism: A shadowhunter has mental health problems that means he lashes out at people, and he and his family point the finger at Ragnor, accusing him of brainwashing/influencing this shadowhunter into violence rather than admitting that the issue is a mental health one. This is because of the Clave’s stigma against mental illness, which Ragnor explains. Also, Alec refers to this shadowhunter as an asshole - he is an asshole, but this is partly because of his poor mental health, and Alec isn’t hugely tolerant of this fact. They use this shadowhunter’s poor mental health to leverage Ragnor’s pardon, and as a thank you for helping the shadowhunter, Inquisitor Herondale makes Alec the Head of the Institute again.
> 
> Child abduction/abuse: As in canon, Valentine has kidnapped Madzie and is using her. Madzie is a bit more clearly scared in this version.

Magnus barely remembered going to sleep the night before. He’d been so exhausted, physically and emotionally, after the events of the party and Iris’ meddling, he’d more or less passed out the second his head hit the pillow. Without opening his eyes, he put his hand out to check Alec was still there. His fingers met a sleep-warm, hairy stomach, and Magnus sighed in relief, turning over to press his face into Alec’s shoulder.

Alec hummed in his sleep, turning his face into Magnus’ hair. Magnus settled back down to go back to sleep, but his mind was itching, unable to keep from thinking about Alec pitching over the edge of the roof. He shuddered, his eyes opening, and squeezed Alec tighter. 

“Alexander?” He whispered, running his fingers over Alec’s waist lightly, trying to tickle him awake.

The only response he got was a grunt and Alec turning over to face away from him. 

“Angel, wake up.” Magnus entreated, rubbing Alec’s tummy and nuzzling into his back. 

“Shhh, ‘m sleepin’.” Alec’s New York accent came out when he was sleepy, and Magnus thought it was adorable.

“I need to talk to you.” 

Alec groaned, putting his hand over his face. “What’s up?” 

Magnus sat up, guiding Alec to lie on his back. Alec looked bleary and confused, and Magnus just had to kiss him. It was soft and brief, but it brought a smile to Alec’s face. 

“You woke me up for that?” Alec asked, amused. “Not that I’m complaining.” 

“No… I…” Magnus frowned, his hand coming to rest over Alec’s chest, feeling the beat of his heart. “What happened last night… It scared me.”

Alec blinked, his eyebrows furrowing. “That was just the magic, Magnus. I would never-”

“Magic can’t create feelings. It can only bring them out. So a part of you wanted to jump off that roof.” His fingertips dug into Alec’s chest gently. “What did I do to make you think you couldn’t talk to me about that?” 

“It’s not…” Alec sighed, running his hand down his face. “I never, not once, seriously planned to kill myself, not ever. But…” He sat up slowly, his hand finding Magnus’. “That impulse has been there for as long as I can remember. And… I don’t know, I don’t have an explanation. Hearing Clary say all that stuff would have driven me pretty damn close to the edge without that magic in my head. I didn’t tell you that I felt suicidal because it’s… Not news?” He grimaced. “That sounds bad. It’s fine. I cope with it. I’m really, honestly doing relatively well. You make me so happy, Magnus. But it’s something that I’m not sure can be fixed, any more than I can fix your alcohol thing.” 

Magnus breathed out slowly, his eyes raising to the ceiling. “I have my drinking under control.”

“And I have my weird morbid impulses under control.” Alec promised, bringing Magnus’ hand to his lips. “If I ever get to the point where they’re not under control, and I can’t cope, I promise you that I will tell you.”

“It just scares me that you’d be dead right now if I hadn’t heard Clary scream.” Magnus said quietly. “I can’t help thinking that one day I’m going to get a call out of nowhere that you’ve…”

Alec nodded, closing his eyes. “I know.” He pressed his lips to Magnus’ knuckles again. “But I’m a shadowhunter. I could die on any mission, Magnus, that’s the reality of the life I live.”

“I know. I know it is.” Magnus bit the inside of his cheek. “Doesn’t mean I have to like it.”

“How about this,” Alec proposed, lying back down and tugging Magnus down next to him. “I’ll do my very best to always make it home to you, and you do your best to trust that I do everything I can to keep myself safe?” 

Magnus nodded. “And you also do your best to tell me when you’re going through a bad patch. That part’s non-negotiable.” 

“As long as you’re equally honest with me.”

Magnus hesitated for a moment, but after a moment raised his head for a kiss. “Deal.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Clary and Izzy were having breakfast in Brooklyn, at one of Clary’s old hang-out spots from back when she was an art student. They were both still riding the high of confessing for the first time, and Clary had announced that they were going out for breakfast, to give Raj a break from the PDA he’d heroically suffered through during his morning coffee for the past few weeks.

“You’re so cute, giving me the bigger half,” Izzy cooed, booping Clary’s nose when the redhead picked up the smaller half of the blueberry muffin they’d ordered. Neither of them could choose what to get, so they got the muffin and a couple of pastries and decided to split all of them. 

“What can I say? I am an excellent girlfriend.” Clary sighed, stirring her coffee. 

Izzy beamed at her, tangling their feet together under the table. “You’re the best.”

Clary looked at Izzy for a long moment, her eyes warm and affectionate. “You make me really happy, you know that?” 

“You make me happy too. Despite all the stuff going on around us. I have no idea how I would’ve coped with all this without you. Between Alec, my Mom, Aldertree…” 

“Ah, you forget that technically if I’d never come along none of you would’ve gotten into trouble in the first place.” Clary was smiling, but Izzy knew she felt bad, so she reached for her hand.

“I’m okay with that considering it means I met you.” Izzy assured her, and Clary melted. “What d’you miss most about being a mundane?” 

Clary hummed, narrowing her eyes as she considered it. “Probably social media. Sometimes I miss school, but I don’t know if I could go back to spending my time drawing now that I know about all this.”

“You should still draw,” Izzy shrugged, playing with Clary’s fingers, “even shadowhunters need artists.” 

“Maybe I’ll draw you sometime.” Clary teased, and Izzy’s eyes lit up.

“You wanna draw me?” 

“Well, I’ve already doodled you a little, but it might be nice to do a proper portrait.” Clary explained. Her fingers lifted to touch Izzy’s cheek. “You’re too pretty not to be captured on paper. I’m not great at people, though, so it might be bad.” 

Izzy squirmed a little, her cheeks pink. “Well no-one’s ever drawn me before, so I’ll love it either way.”

“Yeah?” Clary grinned. “Alright, then I’ll draw you. You have to sit still for like… Two hours, though. Oh, unless I just draw you while you’re working in the lab.”

“What, with those ugly goggles on and my hair tied back? No way.” 

“I think the goggles are cute. They’re a bit magnifying and they make your eyes look like bugs’ eyes, it’s cute.” Clary told her.

“Bugs’ eyes? Wow, that’s such a huge compliment.” Izzy laughed. 

“I like it!”

Izzy rolled her eyes, raising Clary’s hand to her mouth to kiss her fingertips. 

“What do you think you’d be doing, if you were a mundane?” Clary asked, taking a sip of her coffee.

“Well, you already know, don’t you?” Izzy pointed out, a little smile on her face.

Clary wondered for a moment what she was talking about, but then the alternate universe Izzy popped into her mind, and she huffed out a chuckle. “Yeah, I guess so. You were still a scientist.”

“Mmm, yeah, it was really the only thing I was interested in at the academy. We had some arts classes, though. Like I said, the Clave likes to have a few artists in each generation. Sculptors for Alicante, writers to document history, painters to put up murals of grisly battles. But I was never very good at any of it. But science? I just get it. It comes easily to me.” Izzy murmured, tracing her fingers along the barely visible blue veins in Clary’s wrist. “It would have been nice to go to college.”

“You could still go one day.” 

Izzy shook her head, a sad smile on her face. “Unless the Clave implodes in my lifetime, I can’t see that happening.” 

Clary tilted her head to the side. “Well, between you and Magnus and Luke and the rest of your downworld cabinet, I’m sure that dream isn’t as far off as you think.” 

“Yeah, right,” Izzy scoffed.

Clary shrugged. “You never know what’ll happen in the future.”

“Speaking of the downworld cabinet…” Izzy checked her phone and sighed. “I should go.”

“Go change the world, babe.” Clary smiled, lifting her head for a kiss as Izzy grabbed her jacket.

Izzy smiled. “I’ll do my best.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“There’s an unpleasant but obvious solution to this problem.” Raphael pointed out, his hands folded in front of him on the table. 

“Agreed,” Meliorn wouldn’t quite look at Izzy as he said it.

Izzy narrowed her eyes. “And what solution is that?” 

“Clary Fray and your brother should be put down. That way Valentine will be unable to activate the Soul Sword.” Raphael replied. 

“Are you crazy?!” Simon yelled, and the rest of the table erupted into shouting as well. 

“If you go anywhere near Clary I will tear your arms off.” Luke snarled.

“Alec and Clary have done nothing wrong, they don’t deserve to die!” Magnus insisted.

“It’s the only way to guarantee our safety.” Meliorn shook his head. 

Maia stayed quiet where she sat next to Izzy, her eyes downcast. Izzy was too afraid to ask what she thought.

Izzy stood up. “Alec and Clary are not going to be sacrificed. This council will not even entertain the notion.” 

“You aren’t the boss of us, shadowhunter,” Raphael sneered. He also got to his feet. “Let’s vote. All those in favour of killing the two shadowhunters, painlessly and quickly, raise your hand.” 

Raphael and the two Seelies raised their hands. Maia swallowed hard, her eyes darting to Izzy as she slowly raised her hand. 

“I’m sorry, Iz, but we’re talking about saving millions of lives. I love Clary and Alec, but… There’s no question. We have to save the downworld.” Maia said quietly.

“All those in favour of letting Clary and Alec live.” Izzy urged, and she, Magnus, Luke and Simon raised their hands.

“Simon cannot vote against his leader.” Raphael insisted.

“Well then neither can Maia.” Luke gritted out, glaring at his beta.

“If we’re counting leaders only then we win.” Izzy pointed out.

Meliorn got up from his seat. “This meeting is over. The Seelie Queen does not need nor desire shadowhunter permission to protect her people. Clary Fray and Alec Lightwood will be eradicated.” 

“Try it, I dare you!” Luke spat, his eyes glinting green as Meliorn and his second slipped from the room.

“Lucian,” Magnus wrapped his hand around Luke’s wrist. “We’ll protect Alec and Clary.” 

“Damn right we will.” Luke replied, glaring at Raphael as he stalked out behind the Seelies.

“I’ll talk to him,” Simon promised gingerly before following.

Luke and Magnus looked at Izzy, who sighed, putting her hands on her hips. 

“What are you gonna do now?” Maia asked tentatively.

“Well, whatever we do, you’re not going to know about it.” Izzy snapped. She gave Magnus and Luke a nod, before snatching up her jacket and heading back to the Institute.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“I called you here because Raj has informed me of the prophecy,” Aldertree told Alec, raising his chin. “I’m not sure why you wouldn’t tell me this the moment you found out about it, but-”

“You know now, that’s the main thing.” Alec interrupted him. 

“What are you going to do about it?” Raj asked, feeling a little sheepish. It wasn’t that Alec had told him to keep it a secret, but he hadn’t told him to tell Aldertree either.

Aldertree leaned back in his chair. “The Clave is very concerned about the fact that Valentine penetrated the Citadel. There are worries he could penetrate Institute wards, so I’m not sure that you and Clary will be safe here.”

“What is the Clave’s next step in finding Valentine?” Alec was curious to know whether they were actually interested in finding him, or whether they were content to simply let Valentine’s genocide play out.

“They’re alerting the mundanes. There’ll be posters of a serial killer called Valentine Morganstern up and down the East Coast, warning the mundane public that he’s armed and dangerous.

Raj scoffed. “Right, so then he’ll just use an invisibility rune when he’s out and about. That solves nothing.”

“I think, Mr Lightwood,” Aldertree continued, “that you should go and stay with your friend the High Warlock until Valentine has been caught. Presumably he wants to protect you.”

Alec narrowed his eyes. “Anyone who comes for me at Magnus’ will regret it.”

Aldertree smiled absently. “Good. Miss Fray can go and stay with her adoptive father in the New York Pack, and that way Valentine stays away from the Institute and the two of you are kept safe and sound.”

“Valentine will go after Luke before anyone else, are you stupid?!” Raj hissed.

“And Mr Greymark has proven more than once that he can hold himself in a fight.”

“And what if the rest of the pack don’t agree?” Alec pointed out, “the wolves aren’t a hive mind, some of them might not be too happy shielding Valentine’s daughter.” 

Aldertree sighed. “What would you have me do, Mr Lightwood? Risk the lives of innocent shadowhunters in their own home?” 

“Yes!” Raj and Alec shouted in unison. 

“My decision is final. If Lucian Greymark consents to protecting Clary, then that’s that.” Aldertree responded. “Now, I have a lot of reports to catch up on that were written in my absence. You know where the door is.”

Alec and Raj glanced at each other and left the room, waiting until they were back in Raj’s room down the hall before starting to rant.

“I swear to God, he’s either the thickest man on the entire planet or he’s determined to see Clary dead.” Alec growled.

“And you.”

“Me? I’ll have Magnus’ wards, Magnus himself and my bow. Good fucking luck to the Circle trying to take me.” Alec scoffed.

Raj huffed out a laugh. “True. You think Luke’ll say yes to hiding Clary?”

“Probably,” Alec sighed, rubbing his forehead. “Luke would do anything for Clary, he’s her Dad. And after Jocelyn, he’s going to want to keep Clary as close as possible.” 

“Maybe… I don’t know, could Magnus hide the two of you?” Raj asked. 

Alec hummed. “Yeah… Actually, he might be okay with that. I don’t know, I’ll have to ask him. He’s… He’s already got a lot on his plate, but I mean, Clary would just be hanging out, right? It’s not like he’d have to roll out a red carpet.”

“Yeah. Look, man, I’m sorry I didn’t give you a heads up that I was gonna tell Aldertree about the prophecy.” Raj said, and Alec shrugged it off.

“It’s alright. I didn’t wanna tell him myself, it’s better he heard it from you.” 

“You sure? We’re good?” 

Alec smiled. “Yeah, Raj, we’re good.”

“Good.” 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“If this is going to cause trouble between you and Maia, I can stay with-”

“I’m not letting you out of my sight.” Luke insisted, squeezing Clary’s shoulder. “And Maia’s not here.”

Clary sighed. “This is her home, Luke.” 

“And when she comes to her senses, she can come back.” Luke said evenly. “You’re both my girls, and if you were threatening her life I wouldn’t let you be here, either.”

“You have to admit she has a point.” Clary wrung her hands together. “It’s two lives for the entire downworld…”

“And two lives is too many.” 

“I’m not worth more than the entire downworld.” 

“You are to me.” 

Clary swallowed hard, shaking her head. “I’m not okay with that.”

“It’s not going to come to that, alright?” Luke promised. He had the worst headache of his life. Between dissent in the pack, Maia’s rebellion, Clary’s life being threatened, reconciling tentatively with Cleo, Jocelyn, and the possibility of Valentine hunting him, Luke was sure that he’d have keeled over and died of a heart attack if he’d been a mundane. “We’re going to find Valentine and get the Soul Sword back.”

“How are you going to do that if you have to stand guard over me like this?” Clary pointed out.

“Simon’s on his way over. I’m going with Cat to look for Madzie; if we get her we can use her for leverage against Iris for information on Valentine. She’s refusing to talk until Madzie is safe.” Luke explained, licking his lips nervously. “Simon’ll hide with you in the boathouse until I come back.” 

Clary nodded, knowing full well that Maia would beat Simon’s ass with no problem, but Madzie needed saving, and Cat needed Luke’s nose for it. “Okay.” 

“Okay.” Luke sighed, smiling a little in relief. “We got this, kid, alright?”

Both looked around at the sound of the Jade Wolf door flying open, and Luke shoved Clary behind him as Maia appeared, wild-eyed and panting.

“I have an idea!” She announced.

“I told you to stay away until you-”

“But I did! I have an idea to keep Clary and the pack safe, it’s… Well, it’s fucking genius,” Maia grinned, putting her hands on her hips.

Luke didn’t look convinced. “What’s your plan?” 

“I bring Clary out of here and take her upstate. That cabin you brought me to when I first turned, remember? No-one knows about that except the pack. And then I come back covered in animal blood, right, and you take me to the Institute and tell Aldertree that I’ve killed her. They throw me in a cell, Valentine hears his kid is dead, goes to Magnus’ looking for Alec, and then all of you guys are there waiting for him, and catch him. Then we bring back Clary, I’m obviously let go because I didn’t actually kill her, and everyone’s happy!” 

“That’s fucking genius.” Clary enthused, stepping out from behind Luke’s back.

Luke scoffed. “Right. Yes, of course, I’ll just let you take Clary up into the woods and “””””pretend”””””” to murder her and then give you a 12 hour headstart for you to disappear. Yeah. Great plan.” 

Maia deflated. “Luke, I don’t want to kill Clary. I never wanted to kill Clary, I just thought it might be necessary for our survival. I like Clary, I don’t want her to get hurt. This will work. You just have to trust me.”

“Luke, she’s right. I trust her, she would never hurt me. She’s fought by my side before.” Clary insisted, going to stand at Maia’s side, but Luke’s arm came out and stopped her.

The disbelief and betrayal in Maia’s eyes damn near broke Luke’s heart, but he couldn’t risk it. “Clary is staying with me.” 

“But the pack will be in danger.” Maia reminded him.

“She’s not gonna hurt me, Luke,” Clary insisted, “she wouldn’t do that to you and Izzy.” 

“He doesn’t believe you.” Maia’s lower lip was wobbling. 

Luke couldn’t look at either of them. “This is how it has to be. Come on, Clary. We have to go and meet Catarina.” 

Clary gave Maia’s hand a squeeze as she passed, and Maia sniffed back tears. “I trust you.” She whispered, and Maia nodded.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“That was a mistake, Luke.” Catarina told him a little while later. “Maia is not the kind of woman you can let down and expect her trust not to waver. She’ll be wary of you after this.” 

“So you think I was wrong?” Luke asked, one eye on Clary hugging Simon in the other room. 

“Yes, I do.”

Luke looked at the warlock, eyebrows furrowed. “You’d have risked Clary?” 

“I trust Maia. She’s a good girl.” Cat shrugged, “I can’t for the life of my figure out why you don’t. Unless you know her logic is sound and you’re scared of what that means.” 

Cat’s eyes were intent and nonplussed, and Luke couldn’t meet them. “Her logic is sound. But I’m not losing anybody else.”

“That’s understandable.”

“Can her and Simon go with you? I have to go back to the pack, try and keep them placated.” Luke murmured, “I know it’s a lot to ask, but…”

“Clary will be less likely to cause trouble if she’s involved with a mission. Yeah, I get it. They can come with me,” Cat smiled slightly. “Go and apologise to Maia. We’ll look for Madzie. We have a lead; Iris told us where Madzie was when Valentine took her, so we’re going to canvas around there.” 

Luke nodded. “Good luck. I hate to think what he’s planning with that poor little girl.” 

“Nothing good,” Cat shook her head. 

“I hope you find Dot, too.” 

Cat sighed. “Me too.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When Izzy was shown into Aldertree’s office, he was standing by the window, looking out. Neither of them spoke for a long moment after the door shut, Izzy’s eyes on the back of his neck.

“I thought you and I had gotten past our differences and decided to work together for the common good, Miss Lightwood.” 

Izzy’s eyebrow arched. “I don’t remember that. All I remember happening is you attempting to blackmail me using my girlfriend.” 

Aldertree turned slowly to look at her. “You have been having unsanctioned meetings with downworlders.” 

“Is socialising a crime, now?” Izzy taunted. Unless he had recordings of the downworlder cabinet meetings, she knew he couldn’t prove a thing.

“You and I both know that these meetings are not social.” 

“You and I both know that using UV light to torture downworlders is against the Accords. You might have told Raphael that there’s a loophole but you know as well as I do that that was a lie. If he reports it to the Clave you’d be sacked.” Izzy growled, her face set with righteousness. “You were counting on him being too scared to talk. But the downworld is a family, and they look after each other.” 

Aldertree pursed his lips. “I suppose Miss Fray’s little fledgling friend told you?”

“Actually, no, Magnus told me. He basically raised Raphael, so that’s who Raphael ran to when he was hurt. If I were you, Aldertree, I would keep my mouth shut and stay out of my way. Because one little fire message to the Clave, and you’re reassigned to some tiny little island off the coast of Scotland, and I know how much you hate the rain.” 

“You have no proof.” Aldertree replied quietly.

Izzy smirked. “Not yet. But I’m willing to bet that this isn’t the first time you’ve abused a downworlder. And I’m also willing to bet there’s a paper trail that won’t be as difficult to find as you’re hoping.”

Aldertree’s eyes were unreadable. “Then I suppose the two of us are at an impasse, for now. The first to gain sufficient evidence…”

“Wins the Institute.” Izzy nodded, tilting her head to the side. “If I were you, I’d invest in some thermals. It gets very cold up in Scotland.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“You look amazing today,” Alec hummed, his eyebrow quirking as Magnus pulled back from their hello kiss. “Is that a new shirt?” 

Magnus smirked under his boyfriend’s attention, smoothing down his shirt against his chest. “Mmmm. Just arrived today; the designer wanted my opinion.” 

“Well, I know nothing about fashion, but I know that you look sexy as hell.” 

“Careful, angel,” Magnus teased, splaying out his hand on Alec’s chest as Alec tried to pull him closer. “Ragnor’s here.”

Alec sighed, settling for giving Magnus a soft kiss on the cheek and stepping away. “I give up trying to convince him to stay out of the city.”

“It’s useless trying to tell me anything, Alec, you should know that by now!” Ragnor called from inside the living room.

“I actually have something for you,” Alec admitted, “the name on your arrest warrant.” 

Ragnor sat up a little straighter as Alec entered the room, his eyes wide. “And?”

Alec grimaced. “Inquisitor Herondale. She’s… Very high up.” 

“Herondale?” Magnus scoffed, “well, we should’ve seen that coming. She was the one who tried to have Izzy deruned. Wasn’t her son in the Circle, too?” 

“Yes, and her grandson was born under very strange circumstances,” Ragnor remembered, “wasn’t he the one who…”

“I punched in the face when we were kids? Yeah. He’s a thug. Last I heard from Aline he was relieved of duty for beating up a superior officer.” Alec folded his arms. “He was in our class. If he was in trouble for erratic behaviour…”

“Then it would make sense that he’d say that Ragnor brainwashed him into being violent against other shadowhunters.” Magnus finished slowly. “Wow. And Grandma’s covering his ass by legitimising his story, as well as ruining Alec and Izzy’s credibility at the same time. We already know she hates them.”

Ragnor shook his head in disbelief. “I should have known. That little rat of a boy was always hateful. I tried cutting him a little slack because of his parents, but… Well, let’s just say I wasn’t too angry when I heard that Alexander had punched him.” 

“Okay, so it’s Stephen Junior.” Alec shrugged, “what now?” 

“I have to go and meet up with the downworld cabinet,” Magnus said apologetically, “but I’ll be back in a couple of hours to help you come up with a plan.”

“Yes, yes, go and talk some sense into Raphael. Goodness me, that boy has gotten terribly stoic lately. All logic and no passion. Awful. He needs to adopt a cat. And you can tell him I said that, Junior!” 

“I’ll be sure to, Ragnor,” Magnus assured, rolling his eyes a little as he pulled on his coat. “Will you be alright here with Ragnor? I’ll leave the wards up.” 

Alec smiled. “Are you kidding? We’re going to be planning to expose my childhood bully for the asshole he is, I’m having a great time.” 

Magnus laughed fondly, pecking Alec on the lips before opening a portal to the Hunter’s Moon.

“You two are infuriatingly adorable together, you know that, don’t you?” Ragnor sighed once Magnus’ portal closed behind him. 

Alec shrugged, his cheeks a little pink as he sat down on the couch next to Ragnor. “I’ve been told.”

“Now, Stephen Junior.” Ragnor wrinkled his nose. “We’re going to need some leverage.” 

“He doesn’t care about anything except the hunt. All he wanted when we were at the Academy was to get his runes so he’d be allowed to beat up demons and downworlders. I doubt he has anyone we can use against him.”

Ragnor chuckled. “Look at you, hoping to kidnap a pretty girl and blackmail him with her. Goodness me, Alexander, all this time out in the field has made you devious.”

“You know how I feel about this guy,” Alec shrugged. “He made my life hell.”

“I do. But he’s still a Herondale, and they still have me on the proverbial hook. So we must take a kinder approach. If he’s acting out against his superiors, and I haven’t influenced him, then something must be influencing him.” 

“Yeah, his asshole nature.” Alec grumbled.

“If I remember rightly, his mother, Celine, had pretty severe mental health problems. The Clave have never been good at treated mental health conditions; usually the Silent Brothers as good as lobotomise their patients suffering from depression or anxiety.” Ragnor explained, like Alec didn’t already know.

“Yep, there’s a reason why I never reported my panic attacks.” 

Ragnor nodded. “Exactly. So what if Stephen Junior is suffering from uncontrollable bouts of anger, stemming from a mental health condition? If I were to offer the Inquisitor treatment for him, perhaps she would rescind these accusations.” 

“Can you cure mental health problems?” Alec asked, quirking an eyebrow.

“Well, no, but I can brew a mood stabilising potion. It’ll soften his negative feelings, make them a little less overwhelming.” 

“Damn.” Alec breathed, nodding slowly. “Yeah, that could work. But how are you supposed to get to the Inquisitor if you’re dead?” 

Ragnor hummed. “Well, that’ll be more difficult. I’ll need some time to come up with a plan.” 

“Alicante is on high alert, and she’s not leaving there any time soon. She’s part of the Valentine team.” Alec explained, “there’s no way you’ll get to her without being caught.” 

“I’ll think of something, dear boy, don’t you worry about me.” Ragnor assured him. 

“I hope so. You deserve better than being cooped up like this.” 

Ragnor smiled, patting Alec’s shoulder. “There are worse things in life than being stuck in a lavish apartment with magic at your disposal.” 

Alec laughed. “Alright, true.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“If all we need is proof that Aldertree tortured me… We have three witnesses. Isn’t that evidence enough?” Raphael asked.

“They won’t consider downworlder witnesses as more trustworthy than Aldertree’s word.” Magnus pointed out, and Raphael grumbled. “If we had the Soul Sword, I could submit myself to examination and the truth could be pulled from me, but…”

“I didn’t know the sword worked on downworlders.” Izzy’s eyebrows raised. “Why don’t they just-”

“I’m no ordinary downworlder,” Magnus explained hastily.

“You…?”

“That’s a story for another time. It doesn’t matter, we don’t have the Soul Sword anyway.” Magnus pointed out, leading to a grateful smile from Magnus. 

“This Aldertree issue is not my priority right now,” Raphael reminded them. “You told me you had a solution for the Soul Sword problem that didn’t involve killing.” 

Magnus nodded. “Alec is going to stay in my loft behind my wards, and he’ll have a warlock guarding him 24 hours a day.” 

“And Clary is going to stay with Luke and his pack until Valentine is caught.” Izzy added.

“Is that why Luke isn’t here?” Raphael asked, folding his arms. 

“Clary’s safety and the safety of the downworld is the most important thing to him.” 

Raphael narrowed his eyes. “You didn’t answer my question.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“So where are we headed?” Simon asked, buckling his seatbelt.

Cat furrowed her eyebrows, her hands clasped around Madzie’s scarf. They’d managed to barter with a homeless man who’d been sleeping on a bench near Madzie’s last known location; Clary’s woollen scarf for the flimsy blue cotton one that Madzie had been wearing the last time she was seen. “I can’t give you a destination, but I can tell you what direction. It’s not so much like a pin in a map as it is a thread through the labyrinth.” 

“Yeah, like a sat nav. You just know when to turn or keep going.” Clary agreed, leaning forward from the back. 

“Exactly, yeah. Go left at the end of this street.” Cat told Simon, who nodded and started the engine. “You know, this was way too easy. It’s almost definitely a trap.” 

“Yeah, Valentine doesn’t seem stupid enough to leave something like that behind.” Simon nodded, scratching the back of his head. “But we can’t exactly ignore it.”

Clary bounced her leg impatiently. “We have to spring the trap, but we can’t let Valentine get his hands on me. I need you… I need you to promise that if it looks like Valentine is going to take me, that you’ll kill me.”

“Yeah, right,” Simon scoffed, shaking his head. “Good one.”

“I mean it, Simon. If Valentine gets close to winning, you have to kill me. I won’t be responsible for killing all the downworlders in New York. I won’t. You have to promise me.”

Simon was shocked into silence, glancing in the mirror at the determined set of Clary’s face. 

“I promise.” Catarina murmured, her eyes on the royal blue of Madzie’s scarf. “I won’t let him use you like that.”

Clary nodded, leaning back and letting out a slow, shaky breath. “Thank you.”

Simon said nothing, peeking at Cat out of the corner of his eyes as he continued to drive, following her directions. There was no way in hell that he was going to let anyone kill Clary if he could do anything about it. Cat’s eyes darted to him, and he looked back at the road. He knew that she knew he’d protect Clary, and the air in the car grew a little thicker.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“I didn’t expect to see you again today,” Magnus smiled, raising his eyebrow as Alec rushed past him into the apartment. 

“Is Ragnor here?”

“I’m afraid so, but I can get rid of him if you’re after a little afternoo-”

Alec had disappeared into the apothecary looking for Ragnor, and Magnus pouted. 

“You’re not going to believe this, Inquisitor Herondale is overseeing an investigation of an old Valentine safehouse in New Jersey today.” Alec announced, and Ragnor got to his feet, eyes lighting up.

“You can’t possibly be considering going and cornering her! She’ll arrest you on the spot!” Magnus insisted.

Ragnor held up a finger, shaking his head. “Not if I promise to help her with her grandson’s erratic behaviour. If she’s desperate enough to call for my head to cover up his nonsense then she’s definitely desperate enough to take my help.” 

Alec shrugged. “It could work, if I’m there.”

“You could be deruned for harbouring a fugitive!” Magnus scolded, “no way! That’s insane, Alexander!”

“If I go, I can tell her that I, along with Izzy and Raj, will tell people that Stephen Jr is losing his mind, unless she lets him take Ragnor’s treatment. Like, the dude probably wants help as much as we want to give it to him. They’ll be relieved that Ragnor is willing to handle it quietly.”

“It’s logical, Magnus, and you know it.” Ragnor agreed, clapping his hand on Alec’s shoulder. “We’ll leave right away!” 

Magnus watched the two of them bustle about, Alec pouring the potion into little bottles as Ragnor magicked his coat on and cast the portal. “There’s no point in me trying to talk you out of this, is there?” 

“Nope!” Alec shrugged. “This will work.”

“Give me a kiss before you go just in case they toss you in prison and I never see you again.” Magnus grumbled, and Alec snorted as he leaned in for a soft kiss.

“Wish us luck, Junior!” 

“Good luck,” Magnus perched his butt on the edge of his desk as Alec and Ragnor passed through the portal and disappeared. He pinched the bridge of his nose, and sighed. Alec alone was stubborn, and Ragnor was impulsive. Put them together? 

He did not envy Inquisitor Herondale going up against their combined willpower.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“My plan would have worked.”

“I can’t risk it Maia, I wouldn’t have risked it if you were the one in danger and Clary was the one with the plan, either.” Luke insisted.

Maia scoffed, turning her face away from him. “We both know that’s not true.”

“That’s not fair.”

“Makes sense, anyway,” Maia said in a small voice. “You’ve known Clary since she was born, I’m just some stray you picked up a couple of years ago.” 

“Maia, that’s not true. You’re just as much my daughter as Clary is. That’s why I’m here, with you.” Luke replied, moving around the booth to sit next to her. “I don’t want you to hate me.” 

“And I want you to trust me.” 

“I do.” 

Maia bit the inside of her cheek, shaking her head. She still didn’t look at him, and he sighed. He felt the hurt like a physical weight in his chest. Cat had been right; he should have trusted Maia. He’d known as soon as he and Clary had left the Jade Wolf. 

“What can I do to fix this?” He pressed gently.

“It’s not for you to fix,” Maia pointed out, swallowing hard. She met his eyes. “Let me out.”

Luke moved out of the booth to let Maia stand, his eyebrows furrowed.

“It’s up to me to prove that you can trust me.” 

“Maia, you need to stay away from Clary. Catarina’s got her.” 

“Clary trusts me, you heard her say it yourself.” Maia argued. “Let me go and help. Please.” 

Luke looked at her for a long moment. He knew that Maia wouldn’t hurt Clary, he did. But that tiny, tiny chance that she might decide that she needed to protect the downworld after all scared the hell out of him. But if he didn’t trust her now, he could lose Maia forever.

“Okay.” He assented, nodding slowly. “Okay.”

Maia let out a sigh of relief. “I won’t let you down.” 

“You never have,” Luke reminded her, smiling a little. Maia bent to give him a swift kiss on the cheek and then disappeared out the door before he could change his mind. 

Luke felt uneasy. He knew that he had to let Maia have this, and he couldn’t leave the Jade Wolf just in case others in the pack decided to hunt Clary. No, he had to stay here, and trust his daughters to protect each other. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Okay, pull over here, the signal is a lot stronger now, I think she’s just a couple of blocks away.” Cat ordered, rolling her shoulders a little.

“You can’t go by yourself.” Clary insisted, “you’re a nurse.”

Cat quirked her eyebrow as she looked over her shoulder at the shadowhunter. “Sweetheart, I lived through slavery and the civil war. Do you really think an unhinged middle aged man is enough to phase me?” 

“She has a point.” Simon admitted, and Clary didn’t argue.

“Promise you’ll be careful.”

“I’m not coming back without Madzie and Dot. And Valentine will be lucky to escape with his life.” Cat said matter-of-factly, unbuckling her seatbelt as Simon pulled over. “You have to protect Clary. Raphael and the Seelies will be looking for her.” 

Simon nodded, rubbing his hands together. “I got it.”

Cat nodded, offered Clary a brief smile, and got out of the car. She had no idea, honestly, if Simon was capable of fighting off the downworlders coming after them, but she figured he could always run them over if push came to shove. She doubted Meliorn was gonna turn up with a car. 

The signal from Madzie’s scarf led her to a small independent cafe, and through the widow she spotted Madzie’s pigtails sitting by a table alone. As she opened the door, she saw Valentine turn away from the counter holding two mugs of hot chocolate. His eyebrows furrowed for the briefest moment before his face was impassively smooth once more. Cat went and sat next to Madzie, not taking her eyes off Valentine for a moment.

“Catarina!” Madzie gasped, clutching at Cat’s sleeve as she sat down.

“Hey Madz,” Cat smiled, scritching the top of Madzie’s head. “You okay?”

“Madzie’s just fine.” Valentine insisted, sitting opposite her. “Aren’t you, Madzie?”

Cat glanced at the younger warlock, who looked nervously between Cat and Valentine. She didn’t say anything, and Cat had to breathe hard against the wave of outrage that threatened to take hold of her magic and blast Valentine into smithereens. 

“Well, I have good news, Madz. You’re gonna be coming home with me tonight.” 

“I don’t think so,” Valentine laughed.

Cat leaned back in her chair, looking Valentine up and down. He wasn’t almost as impressive as she knew he thought he was. He was plain, balding, scarred. Ugly. His eyes betrayed the mania simmering just below the surface. In years gone by, she might have just snapped his neck with magic and be done with it. But she didn’t want to expose Madzie to that. 

“I have your daughter. And I know that you need her to activate the sword. So if Madzie and Dot don’t come with me, Clary will…” Cat looked at Madzie out of the corner of her eye. “She’ll go on a very long holiday.” 

“You wouldn’t kill an innocent.” Valentine scoffed.

Cat’s eyes glittered. “Try me.” 

“You want me to believe that downworlders are good and pure, and yet…”

“I don’t care what you think of us, Valentine. No amount of humanity we show you can change your mind. I’ve seen men like you century after century, and you know what you all have in common?” Cat challenged.

“Enlighten me.” Valentine sneered.

“You all die hated, alone, in the dirt. No-one mourns you. And that’s exactly what’s going to happen to you, one day soon.”

“Strong words,” Valentine raised his chin. “I am not afraid to die, warlock.”

“But you are afraid of Clary dying, so Madzie will be coming with me.” 

“Alec’s still out there. What makes you think I care if Clary lives or dies?” 

Catarina tilted her head to the side. “What makes you think I don’t have Alec as well?”

“Alec is protected by Magnus Bane. You wouldn’t-”

“Try me.” Cat replied coolly, taking the mug of hot chocolate from in front of him and sipping it casually. “I dare you.” 

Valentine’s eye twitched, and he pulled out his phone and sent off a message. “Dot will be here in a moment. But you have to personally guarantee Clary and Alec’s safety. If I hear that either one of them has been killed by a downworlder I will unleash my shadowhunters on New York and massacre every downworlder we can find. I won’t need the Soul Sword for that.” 

“Clary and Alec will be safe.” Cat nodded, turning her attention to Madzie. “Ready to go, Madz?” 

Madzie nodded, glancing nervously at Valentine, who winked at her. 

As Catarina rose from her chair to help Madzie put her coat on, the bathroom door swung open and Dot appeared. She looked wrecked and exhausted, but it was all Cat could do to control her face. It wouldn’t be smart to let Valentine know how important Dot was to her, so Cat held herself back from falling into Dot’s arms in tears.

“You okay?” Cat asked, and Dot swallowed hard. 

“Let’s go,” she whispered, her eyes darting to Valentine.

“Don’t forget your promise, Miss Loss,” Valentine urged as they reached the door, and Cat straightened her spine. She didn’t look back, and as soon as they were out of the cafe, the three of them started running back towards Simon’s van.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Clary’s scent was easy to follow. She smelled different from other shadowhunters, like… Well, like an angel, Maia supposed. It didn’t take her long to catch up, and when she rounded the corner where Simon’s van was parked, she counted her lucky stars that Luke let her leave when he did. 

Raphael was tussling with Simon on the pavement, both of them snarling with their fangs out, and Clary stood on top of the van, seraph blade deflecting arrows being fired by a few seelies across the street. Clary caught sight of her as she started to change and smiled, secure in the knowledge that Maia was there to help, and Maia bounded over to the seelies. They must have been the advance scouts, because there were only two of them, and they were rubbish with their swords. 

Maia knocked the both of them out within moments, and Simon managed to tire Raphael out enough for Maia to pin him down, growling in his face. 

“Do you give up?” Simon panted, staggering a little into Clary as she jumped back down onto the pavement.

Raphael glared up at Maia. “Get off of me.” 

“Are you going to fuck off?” Simon demanded.

“Yes,” Raphael grumbled, pushing against Maia’s fur. 

Maia backed off him and stood in front of Clary, still poised to attack if Raphael tried anything. True to his word, though, Raphael didn’t make a move on her, just dusted off his suit. 

“Don’t come back to the Hotel DuMort.” He snarled in Simon’s face, and disappeared.

Clary grabbed her bag from the back of Simon’s van and pulled out a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt. “I brought clothes ‘cause I didn’t know if we’d have to leg it out of the city. You wanna change back?” She offered Maia, who jumped into the van. Simon closed the door behind her once Clary had laid out the clothes. 

“It’s weird how she just…”

“Says the guy who drinks blood,” Clary teased, and Simon shrugged. 

“I’m not judging, I’m just saying, it must feel weird to run around naked all the time.” He pointed out.

“I really want someone to try dressing my wolf form at some point,” Maia admitted, her voice muffled from inside the car.

Simon snorted. “That would look pretty fucking funny.” 

“Awww, we could get you one of those ballerina costumes for dogs.” Clary cooed, and Maia laughed.

“Clary!”

Clary spun around to see Dot running towards her, and Clary’s throat closed up, dashing across the street to sweep her adoptive sister up in a tight hug. “Is it really you?” She whispered, blinking back tears, “is it really?”

Dot nodded, rubbing Clary’s back. “It’s me.”

When the two broke apart, Dot latched onto Cat’s side, burying her face in Cat’s neck. Cat let go of Madzie’s hand to hug her, relief overwhelming now that they were out of Valentine’s grasp. She breathed in the smell of Dot’s hair, squeezing her eyes shut. 

“I missed you,” Cat murmured, and Dot hummed tearfully, pulling back to meet her eyes. 

“You risked everything to rescue me.” 

Cat smiled, pressing their foreheads together. “Of course I did.” 

Dot sighed, wrapping her arms around Cat’s back. Clary was caught up in watching the reunion of the two women, and didn’t notice Madzie casting a portal until she heard the whoosh of it opening. Maia climbed out of Simon’s van dressed in Clary’s pyjamas right as Madzie grabbed hold of Clary’s hand and dragged her through the open portal.

“Clary!” Maia shouted, making the other turn around just in time to see Madzie’s portal close.

“Where did they go?!” Simon demanded, whirling around to look for Clary and Madzie.

“Madzie opened a portal.” Maia told them, “took her. Why would she do that?!” 

“She thinks that Valentine has Iris. He told her that if she didn’t do what he said, Iris would get hurt. She’s just trying to protect the only family she has,” Dot explained, her head feeling like it was spinning. 

Cat caught Dot as she pitched over, holding her up. “What exactly did he do to you? Enchantment?”

“Injections,” Dot answered, blinking hard to clear the spots in her vision. “They had to be administered every 12 hours or I… Well, did this.” 

“We have to get you to Magnus’.” 

“What about Clary?” Simon demanded, “Valentine has her!”

“And he’ll use her to activate the Soul Sword!” Maia added.

Cat squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, her mind racing. “You two drive to the Institute and get Alec and Izzy’s help. I’ll go to Magnus’ with Dot. If she…” Cat hesitated over the words, “if Dot dies then we lose our best source of intel on Valentine’s plans. I have to save her.” 

Neither Simon, Dot nor Maia bought the excuse, but it was the one Cat was sticking with. Nevertheless, they agreed, and while Simon and Maia climbed into his van, Catarina opened a portal directly to Magnus’ living room.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“What was in the injections, do you know?” Magnus asked urgently, bending over Dot where she was lying on the couch to look more closely at the prominent veins on her face.

Dot shook her head, eyes tired and teary. “I have no idea.”

“Okay. Then let’s start with a purging potion and go from there.” He decided, hurrying into his apothecary. 

Cat wasn’t used to not having anything to do in situations like these. She wasn’t used to watching and hoping that her loved one would make it through. Usually she was the one taking control and using her knowledge to save a patient, and she hated being the one left in suspense. After all this was over, she’d work harder at potions, she told herself. In the meantime, she paced back and forth as Magnus fed Dot the potion, rubbing her hands up and down her upper arms. 

The veins pulsed, and Dot hissed in pain. After a moment, though, they faded from black to a lilac colour. Dot sighed, her hand coming up to feel her face. “That’s better,” she told them, and Magnus and Catarina glanced at each other, relief evident on both their faces. 

“I’ll make up some more. Hopefully with a couple of doses it should drive this toxin out of your system.” Magnus nodded, leaving the two women alone to go and work in his study.

Dot shifted over on the sofa, squashing herself against the back in the hopes that Cat would come and lie next to her. It took all of a second for Cat to get the message, and carefully stretch out next to Dot, lying her head on Dot’s arm. They were nose to nose, their arms around each other and their legs entangled, and yet Cat wanted to be closer. Dot pushed her face into the crook of Cat’s neck, and let out a shaky sigh. 

She was finally safe. She could finally relax. Every inch of her body ached; it felt like every muscle had been tensed for a fight for the past three months, and only now were they able to unlock. Cat started running her fingers through her hair, and her eyelids felt heavy.

“No, I wanna be awake, with you.” Dot complained, but Cat wasn’t having any of it.

She kissed Dot’s forehead. “Sleep. You’re exhausted. I won’t go anywhere,” Cat promised.

Dot’s fingers tightened in their grip on Cataria’s shirt, but she was too tired to argue.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When Simon and Maia arrived at the Institute, the shadowhunters were already scrambling. Aldertree and Izzy were arguing on the steps as shadowhunters made their way past them armed to the teeth. 

“This is obviously a distraction instrumented by Valentine, open your eyes!” Izzy was saying as Maia and Simon approached, but Aldertree wasn’t backing down.

“It doesn’t matter why this is happening; these downworlders need to be put down before they massacre the mundanes!” 

“What? What’s happening?” Maia asked.

“You should not be here, neither of you.” Aldertree growled.

Izzy ignored him. “There have been dozens of reports of violent downworlders attacking mundanes, with pronounced purple-black veins in their faces.”

“The same as Dot,” Simon nodded. “It’s Valentine for sure. It’s not their fault!”

“It doesn’t matter whose fault it is, they’re still killing mundanes,” Aldertree insisted, “so our goal will be to catch or kill them.” 

“Valentine has Clary,” Maia blurted out, unsure of how else to tell them.

“What?!” Izzy yelped. 

“We got Madzie back but Madzie was being blackmailed by Valentine, and she took Clary back to him through a portal.” Simon explained.

Izzy’s ears were ringing. “But…”

“We have to find Valentine now or he could activate the Soul Sword.” Maia demanded, “you have to send your shadowhunters-”

“You are in no position to tell me what to do with my own people, werewolf.” Aldertree almost laughed, unable to believe the nerve of the beta wolf. 

“But I am.” A cool, authoritative voice said, just off to the side.

Aldertree’s eyes bulged out of his skull as he saw Inquisitor Herondale step out of the shadows of the Institute garden, escorted by Alec and Ragnor. “M-madame Inquisitor…”

“I am handing control of this Institute back to Alec Lightwood.” She announced, her lip curling at the way the shadowhunters were running around. “This is a disaster.”

Alec puffed out his chest a little, smirking as Aldertree looked at him with outrage.

“But… He’s…”

“He has done the Clave and myself a great service,” Inquisitor Herondale insisted. “He will be in charge of the efforts to catch Valentine.” There was no room for argument, and Aldertree deflated, folding his arms. “So, Mr Lightwood,” she sighed, looking up at him. “What are your orders?” 

“Izzy, I want you to track Clary. Take Simon and Maia with you, and I’ll work with the warlocks on a way to to neutralise Valentine’s injections. In the meantime,” he raised his voice, and the shadowhunters running around all stopped in their tracks to listen to him, “I want you all to go out and herd the affected downworlders towards the Jade Wolf. We’ll contain them in the boathouse there until Magnus and Ragnor have developed a solution.” 

“Magnus is already working on an antidote; he and Cat have Dot at his place,” Maia explained, and Alec nodded. 

“Everyone clear on their missions?” Alec checked, and when there were no negatives, he dismissed everyone.

Inquisitor Herondale took his elbow. “Mr Lightwood, I… Have had my doubts about you. But there is no question that you have the shadow world of New York united like no other city I’ve seen.” 

Alec shrugged one shoulder. “It’s quite simple. If you respect the downworlders as equals, they work with you. Not too difficult. Perhaps you should suggest it at the next Clave symposium.” 

Ragnor snorted in the background, and the Inquisitor lifted her chin. 

“Mr Fell, if you would portal me back to Alicante.” 

“Of course, Inquisitor.” Ragnor replied, barely containing the pride threatening to burst out of him, seeing Alec take command of the Institute that was rightfully his.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Izzy thanked her lucky stars that Clary was still trackable. The odds were that it was a trap, but she knew that they had no choice but to walk into it. They couldn’t risk the Soul Sword’s use. She, Maia and Simon ended up at an abandoned fairground, which was creepy enough without the rusting, empty cages and dead downworlders sprawled here and there, green foam dripping from their mouths.

“Their bodies must’ve rejected the injections,” Maia murmured, and Izzy nodded, her whip in her hand, ready for a fight. 

“Fan out, look for Clary. Valentine is probably here, hiding and waiting to strike. Don’t let your guards down.” She ordered, and Simon and Maia branched off in different directions, keeping low. 

Izzy shuddered as she crept through the fairground, every now and then catching a glimpse of Simon and Maia between rides. It was silent. If it wasn’t for the clear throbbing signal in her tracking rune that Clary was here, she’d have said that there wasn’t a soul here. She straightened up a little when she reached the arcade section. The door was hanging off its hinges, and there was a light flickering inside. Izzy steeled herself, stepping carefully inside.

Sure enough, Clary was in the third room, chained to the ground by her wrists. Izzy snuck into the room and hid behind a broken animatronic bear to check that Valentine wasn’t skulking around. Clary was standing, facing away from her, eyes fixed on the broken window, checking for signs of life. After a moment, when it became clear that Valentine wasn’t patrolling the room, Izzy stepped out from behind the bear to cross to Clary’s side.

“Hey,” she whispered, making Clary jump. “It’s okay, I’m here. Where’s Valentine?”

“He went to get the sword with Madzie. Hurry, he’ll be back any second.” Clary urged.

Izzy broke the chains with a rune, and grabbed Clary’s wrist, dragging her back towards the door. Right as they reached the door, Valentine strolled through, hand in hand with Madzie. He made no move to grab for either Izzy and Clary, just smirked at the two of them.

“My girls, back together again. Touching.” 

“We’re leaving.” Izzy insisted, flicking her whip impatiently, “and we’re bringing Madzie with us.” 

Valentine laughed, looking down at the young warlock, who said nothing, her eyes on the ground. “I don’t think so, Isabelle.”

Clary glanced around for something she could use as a weapon as Valentine let Madzie’s hand go and unsheathed his seraph blade. Izzy clenched her jaw, determined that Valentine wasn’t going to beat her like he had in Camille’s apartment all those months ago. They clashed as Clary ducked to the side to grab a metal pipe, Izzy’s whip snaking out and around the blade of Valentine’s sword. She twisted his wrist, trying to force the sword out of his hand, but he let it go and rushed her instead.

Out of nowhere, a figure leapt onto Valentine’s back, and as Izzy tossed Clary Valentine’s seraph blade, she saw that it was Simon clinging onto Valentine’s back. Maia rushed in too, in human form, wielding a baseball bat. Rather than fighting him off, Valentine dived towards Madzie, who opened a portal.

“No, Madzie, NO!” Clary yelled, but it was too late. Valentine had carried Simon through the portal and disappeared along with Madzie.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm still deliberating on whether or not to continue with the next instalment of this series. Engagement (ie kudos, bookmarks and reviews) have been down a lot, and I'm unsure whether the demand for this version of 2B is really there. So, if you want to see 2B, please comment or bookmark. I don't want to commit to another 200,000 word project if no-one wants to read it!


	10. Episode 10: By the Light of Dawn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The finale arrives!! Thank you SO MUCH for reading Scrambling For Purchase, I've (mostly) had a blast writing it. The sequel, my version of season 2B, will be called KEEPING THE PEACE, and will open with a double posting on December 2nd. I follow the tag #SFPfic on Twitter if you wanna livetweet!
> 
> On a personal note, this has been a huge week for me - I /FINALLY/ started testosterone, and I turned 24!
> 
> Onto the trigger warnings!
> 
> Episode 10: By The Light of Dawn  
> Child abuse: Madzie is being used by Valentine for his own ends, and she’s really scared. Magnus saves her.
> 
> Violence: Madzie throws Alec in the elevator and chokes his team of shadowhunters, as in canon. Raj straight up decapitates a circle member. Simon’s throat is cut, as in canon. Magnus uses his magic physically on Raphael, though he doesn’t hurt him. There’s a battle scene, where several unnamed characters are killed. A character gets stabbed in the gut in the finale, but quickly administers a iratze.
> 
> Threat: Alec is held at knife/swordpoint on two separate occasions, once near the beginning of the chapter and once near the end. Clary threatens Valentine. Clary commands Magnus to kill her if Valentine takes her, so there’s kind of a threat of death? Izzy is held at knife/swordpoint, and used as leverage against Alec.
> 
> Blood: Izzy has Simon drink from her, as Jace does in the canon version. No hint of yin fen bullshit here, though.
> 
> Transphobia/misgendering: Valentine misgenders and humiliates Alec in front of dozens of shadowhunters and downworlders, effectively outing him to everyone. A circle member also calls him ‘princess’.
> 
> Racism: Valentine calls Luke a mutt.
> 
> Vague depiction of corpses: There’s a scene down in the morgue at the end of the episode, and several bodies are mentioned but not described in detail.

“So you can reverse the effects of the injections?” Alec asked, pacing back and forth in the ops centre.

“Yes, Dot’s already showing improvement. It’s going to take time to brew enough, and then there’s the problem of administering it to the wolves and vamps that have gone feral. But-” 

Magnus’ words were cut off by the shriek of a siren, and Alec’s head snapped up to the monitor, his stomach dropping as he realised that the wards had fallen. The Institute was totally vulnerable. 

“I have to go.” He said, and hung up without waiting for Magnus’ goodbye. “Shadowhunters to the doors!” Alec shouted, snatching his bow from his shoulder. They never ran drills for invasions. They only ever ran offense. No downworlder could get through the wards, and they were supposed to screen Circle runes.

They’d deal with their security issues later, Alec told himself as he positioned himself on the front line, priming his bow. 

He immediately relaxed his stance as Madzie wandered around the corner, her eyes wide with fear. Her lower lip wobbled when she saw all the weapons pointed at her, and Alec raised his hand. 

“Hold.” He ordered, stepping towards the young warlock. “Madzie, you’re safe now. No need to be-” 

The next thing he knew, Alec was slamming against the wall of the elevator, his head swimming with the impact. The doors slid shut as he staggered to his feet, and he pressed his face against the window, watching as Madzie slowly slipped her scarf from around her neck, exposing her gills. Alec had no idea why she’d picked on him to lash out at, when he was the only one of them she knew.

It all made sense when Alec’s men started to choke. Madzie stood stock still in the middle of them as they clutched their throats, eyes bulging out of their sockets while Alec stayed safe in the elevator. Alec could do nothing but watch as the men who’d been under his command for less than an hour suffocated and died. He banged on the door to no avail, begged Madzie until his voice was hoarse, but she didn’t look at him. The moment that the shadowhunters fell still, she ran away, into the Institute, out of sight, and then Valentine came around the corner. Alec ducked, clutching at his bow. 

There had been over a dozen circle members with him. If they’d spotted Alec, he was fucked. There was no way he could fight off thirteen people at close quarters. He held his breath, and for the first time in a very long time, he prayed to the angel. Either they heard, or Alec’s reaction in ducking had just been that fast, because Valentine and the Circle members walked right past the elevator.

“Let me go!” 

Alec recognised Simon’s voice, and he frowned. How on Earth did they get hold of Simon? Alec peeked out of the window and saw that Clary wasn’t with them, and breathed a sigh of relief. So Valentine didn’t have the means to activate the soul sword. 

Yet.

He was just realising that he had no idea how to get out of the elevator when Izzy’s face appeared on the other side of the window, and Alec’s stomach flipped in both relief and worry. Izzy held up a finger to her mouth, and pulled the panel off the elevator controls, her eyebrows furrowing as she worked to open the doors.

“Thanks,” Alec whispered when they slid open, and Izzy nodded. “Valentine has Simon.”

“Yeah, I know. They’re here?” 

Alec nodded. “Literally got here five minutes ago. Madzie’s here too, somewhere. I think she ran off, she was scared.” 

“Valentine is going to try to use Simon to leverage Clary. I have to save him.” Izzy murmured as the two of them snuck to the weapons cabinet, loading up on all the seraph blades they could carry. Alec wasn’t too confident with a sword, at least not as confident as he was with a bow, but he had the feeling his bow wouldn’t be much use today. 

“Yeah, alright. I’m going to shut down the core. If he has no power supply, he can’t activate the sword.” 

“No way,” Izzy hissed, “you have to get out of here. If he catches you-”

“He won’t catch me. I’m the Head of the Institute now, only I can shut down the core.” Alec pointed out, and Izzy reluctantly nodded. “Alright. Be careful.”

“You too.” 

After a quick hug, the parabatai parted, sneaking off in different directions.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Maia was aching by the time she got Clary to Magnus’. She’d been coiled with tension for hours, and the moment she stepped across Magnus’ wards, the warm whisper of his magic sweeping over her skin, she sagged, her hyper-vigilance draining out of her all at once. Clary gave her a hug that made her back click, and Maia tentatively hugged her back. She smelled fruity, like raspberries, maybe, and it made Maia relax even further in her grasp.

“Thank you for keeping me safe,” Clary whispered.

Maia smiled as they parted, and Clary was yanked into Magnus’ arms. 

“I’m so glad you’re safe, Biscuit,” he fussed, clutching her to his chest. “I was sure Raphael was going to find you.” 

“Oh, he did,” Clary chuckled tiredly, “but Maia and Simon kicked his ass.” 

Magnus grinned. “Well, I don’t usually condone my children getting their asses kicked, but in this instance I can make an exception. Come in, both of you. You should eat.” 

“Dot!” Clary rushed over to the couch where she and Catarina were still cuddled up. “How are you feeling?!”

“Better,” Dot nodded, not moving from where she was nestled in Cat’s arms. “Magnus is a miracle worker.”

“It’s just science,” Magnus insisted, “speaking of which, I should get back to the potion. If someone could conjure some food, that would be wonderful.” 

“Where’s Simon?” Cat asked, flicking her fingers towards the coffee table, where five bowls of steaming pasta ragu appeared. One bowl disappeared after a moment, presumably snatched up by Magnus’ magic.

Clary and Maia glanced at each other with guilt in their faces. 

“Valentine took him.” Clary told her. “Madzie made another portal. He could be anywhere.” 

Maia crossed to sit on the floor next to coffee table, grabbing a bowl. She hadn’t eaten in twelve hours, she realised, and she was starving. “Where’s Simon’s stuff? Can we get something to track him with?” 

“Simon was living at the Hotel DuMort,” Magnus said, projecting his voice from the apothecary, “and I don’t think any of us will be particularly welcome there at this moment in time.” 

“Fuck,” Clary hissed. She pulled out her phone to call Izzy, her eyebrow quirking as she saw that Izzy was already calling her. “Hello?” 

“Clary, thank God you’re okay,” Izzy said breathlessly, her voice low. “Listen to me. Simon is here, at the Institute. Valentine and his men have completely infiltrated it; nearly everyone is dead. I haven’t seen Raj on the ground but I can’t reach him-”

“Alec?!”

“Alec’s fine,” Izzy assured her, “he’s gone to shut down the angelic core and then he’s gonna leave. I’m going to get Simon.” 

Clary shook her head. “I should be there, helping you.”

“No, it’s too dangerous. That’s exactly what Valentine wants. You have to stay with Maia. Are you at Magnus’ yet?” 

“Yeah, yeah, we’re fine, just got here a couple of minutes ago. Iz…” Clary hated the idea of Izzy trying to rescue Simon without backup. 

“I got this,” Izzy insisted, her tone firm. “You have to stay there with Magnus. But… We’re going to need help taking back the Institute, I can’t stop Valentine on my own. I need you to call Luke, I can’t be on the phone for much longer.” 

“Okay, yes, I can do that. I’ll do that. I’ll ask Magus to send some warlocks, too.”

“Thanks. I love you, Clary.” Izzy said, her voice sounding tight and a little scared.

Clary pressed her lips together tightly, her heart clenching. If this was the last time she heard Izzy’s voice, she’d never forgive herself. “I love you too. So much.”

“Bye,” Izzy whispered, and the line went dead.

“She’ll be okay,” Dot volunteered, shifting up a little so Clary could sit next to her on the couch.

Maia slipped her now empty bowl back onto the coffee table and sighed, slowly getting to her feet. “I’ll go and get the pack and head over to the Institute.” 

“You don’t have to do that, I can call Luke-”

“Valentine has to be stopped,” Maia reminded her, rolling her head on her neck to loosen the muscles in her upper back, “and I’ll be damned if I’m sitting here when I could be tearing him to shreds. Besides, Izzy needs help.” 

“Will you be alright if I go, too?” Cat asked Dot, whose wide eyes looked fearful. “I swear that I’m gonna come home to you, darling, I promise. But I can’t sit here either, and someone needs to rally the warlocks.” 

Dot swallowed hard, squeezing Cat’s hands. “If you don’t come home I’ll be very cross.” 

“We can’t have that, can we?” Cat giggled, kissing Dot’s knuckles. 

Magnus came back into the room, stirring a cauldron that was being held in front of him with magic. “Be careful, both of you. Don’t go in there without backup. Ragnor can’t have gone far, he was with Alec a few hours ago.” He met Catarina’s eyes. After so long of being so close, Cat could read what he was thinking as if he were speaking out loud. Don’t let them take him from me. Bring him home. Save him, please, God, save him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Alec was wondering if that prayer he’d sent up to the angels earlier had been heard, because for half an hour now he’d been silently making his way through the Institute, heading down to the basement to override the core, and he hadn’t seen one Circle member. He’d seen seven dead shadowhunters lying in corridors, his throat closing with every corpse he stepped over. There’d be time to mourn later.

He just hoped that he wouldn’t be mourning Izzy, too. 

She was a skilled fighter, he knew that. She could hold her own. But going up against Valentine himself had proven too much for her once before, and he couldn’t help but wonder if history would repeat itself.

Maybe he’d been too absorbed in worrying about Izzy, because the next thing Alec knew, there was a point pressed to his back. His stomach dropped.

“Turn around slowly,” the Circle member ordered, and Alec took a deep breath. “Now.” The point dug in a little harder, and Alec gradually raised his hands, shuffling around to face Valentine’s man. As he saw that it was Alec, the Circle member’s face lit up, and Alec’s eyes slipped shut. He knew who Alec was. “The great Alec Lightwood, blessed by the angel.” He sneered. “Not so mighty, are you?”

“I think you have the wrong guy.” Alec answered, willing his voice to remain steady. If this guy got him to Valentine, Magnus was as good as dead. 

The Circle member rolled his eyes, and huffed. “Oh yeah? What’s your name then?” 

Just as Alec was about to lose all hope, Raj crept around the corner, winking at Alec with a gesture to keep quiet. Alec lifted his chin a little. “It’s uh…”

With a swing of his seraph blade, Raj sent the Circle member’s head rolling, and Alec’s face was sprayed with blood. He spluttered, wishing he’d had the good sense to close his mouth, and Raj chuckled, clapping him on the shoulder.

“You okay?” He asked, and Alec nodded, wide-eyed. 

“You just fucking decapitated a guy.” 

Raj wrinkled his nose. “If I look down at him I’ll puke, so maybe let’s get out of here.”

Alec laughed, a little hysterical. “Yeah, yeah, let’s go.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“I hate this,” Magnus announced, finally pausing in his pacing to stand behind the couch, his hands leaning on the back of it. Dot lifted her hand to squeeze his fingers. 

“I do, too.” She sighed.

Clary was lying on her back on the ground, staring up at the ceiling. “Me too.” She sat up slowly, pushing her hair out of her face. “We should be there, fighting with them.” 

“It’s not safe for you to be there, Clary. You have to think of the downworld.” Dot reminded her, and Clary bit the inside of her cheek.

“You’re right. But I hate this.” 

“Isabelle will do what she needs to. As will Cat, and Luke, and whoever else decides to show up. We have to have faith in them.” Magnus told himself as much as the other two. “It’ll be fine.” 

Clary jumped to her feet as her phone started to vibrate, her heart leaping as she saw that she was getting a video call from Simon. She rushed over to Magnus and Dot to answer it, and her stomach dropped to her feet when, instead of Simon’s face, Valentine’s appeared in frame. He looked pleased with himself, and it made Clary equal parts furious and terrified.

“Hello, Clarissa,” Valentine sneered. “Do you know where I am?”

“That’s Alec’s office,” Magnus murmured.

“I wasn’t speaking to you, warlock.” Valentine spat, and Clary’s fury won out over her fear. 

“What do you want, fuck face?” Clary blurted out before she could stop herself, and Dot choked on an inhale.

Valentine blinked a few times, clearly shocked at Clary’s choice of phrase, before he recovered himself. “I have your friend. The vampire.” 

“Where is he?” Clary demanded, and Valentine stepped aside to reveal Simon tied to a chair that had been dragged to the middle of the room, and Magnus recognised it as Alec’s desk chair. For a moment, he caught a flash of Madzie run past the door behind Valentine and Simon, and Magnus’ throat closed up at the thought of her being close to the soul sword. As Valentine walked around to stand behind Simon, he pulled out a seraph blade, and Dot flinched away, covering her eyes.

“You know I need you here, Clarissa.” Valentine told her, and Clary shook her head.

“If you hurt him-”

The blade was dragged, deliberately slowly, across Simon’s throat, and Magnus recoiled, putting his hand up to his mouth as the blood started to pour.

“The vampire has around an hour before he explodes into sparks,” Valentine said evenly, “he’s going to need to feed from you, Clarissa, before it’s too late.” 

“I’m going to kill you. I’m going to rip you apart.” Clary snarled, tears blurring her vision. “You’ll regret that.” 

Valentine chuckled, shaking the bloodied blade off. “By all means, come and try. I look forward to our reunion.” He nodded at someone off-screen, and the call abruptly cut off.

“I’m going.” Clary had no intention of arguing.

“No, you stay here, I’ll go.” Magnus insisted.

“Can you give Simon your blood?” Clary demanded, having a feeling that she knew the answer.

Magnus glanced at Dot, who shook her head. “I don’t know.” 

“Not good enough. I’m going.”

“Clary-”

“Could you do it, if you’d just seen Raphael’s throat cut?!” Clary shouted, and Magnus swallowed hard.

“No,” he admitted.

Clary nodded. “Then you know how I feel.” 

“If Valentine catches you-” Dot started.

“Then Magnus will rip the life from my body before I touch that sword.” Clary replied, her voice only wavering a little. She met his eyes. “Won’t you?”

“Clary, I-”

“Won’t you?”

Magnus nodded stiffly, his face twisted in anguish. “Yes.” 

Clary licked her lips, trembling with rage and fear and grief. “Then make the portal.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The circle members seemed endless. Izzy had been creeping around picking them off for an hour now; she’d counted twelve that she’d taken out, but there always seemed to be more. Valentine must have brought most of his shadowhunters, which meant that they had an opportunity to wipe out his little army, if they could just take back the Institute. Clary had texted her a while back telling her that Simon was in Alec’s office, but she hadn’t been able to get close; the circle guards were more closely packed together in the corridors around there. 

She opted to go and meet up with Clary and Magnus outside instead; they were meeting Luke, Maia and Catarina to organise a storm on the Institute. She managed to snag some seraph blades for Clary on her way out, and take down another two circle shadowhunters guarding the main entrance. That made fourteen. 

“Whoa,” Izzy breathed as she stepped through the bush line to see the entire pack assembled, crouching down behind the greenery. Magnus, Clary, Luke, Maia and Catarina were discussing tactics when she approached. Both Maia and Clary rushed forwards to give Izzy hugs, and she squeezed each of them with one arm. 

“Isabelle, how are we looking in there?” Catarina asked, her arms folded. 

“There’s fourteen down from me. Raj and Alec have teamed up to get to the core, they’ve taken down a fair few too, but there’s still at least a couple of dozen around the office where Simon’s being held.” She explained, “and they’re in high concentration, so we’ll need a team rather than just one stealther.” 

Magnus nodded, stroking his goatee. “How well guarded is the entrance itself?”

“For now it’s free, I just killed the guards that were stationed there.” 

“Then we should strike now.” Luke said, and Catarina shook her head.

“We should wait for more warlocks.” She insisted, but Magnus disagreed.

“I think most of them have gone with Ragnor. We can’t count on more warlocks showing up. And besides, I don’t want them near the soul sword if-”

“Oh, but it’s fine for the pack to be here?” Maia sniped, and Luke gave her a sharp look. 

Magnus sighed. “You’re right. I’m sorry. But warlocks aren’t… Well, we’re not as brave as wolves, generally.”

“Where’s Ragnor?” Izzy asked, keen to distract Maia and Magnus from descending into arguments.

“He’s evacuating the less powerful warlocks to the UK.” Magnus answered.

Maia turned to Luke. “You can’t order the pack to fight this battle, Luke. We could be massacred.” 

“She’s right, you have to give them a choice.” Clary said quietly.

Luke looked at his pack. None of them looked scared, not really. Most of them looked ready, eager even. Still, Maia was right. He should give them the option to evacuate with the warlocks. Just as he was opening his mouth to tell them, a blur brushed past him and barrelled into Clary.

“Raphael!” Magnus barked, anger lighting up his expression. “Let her go!” 

“She’ll kill us all!” Raphael slurred around his fangs, his hand gripping Clary’s throat from behind. 

Izzy flicked her whip at her side, ready for a fight, but Magnus rolled his eyes, effortlessly levitating Raphael up and off Clary, holding him aloft in the air with his head pointing towards the ground.

“Now you can come down when you find some common sense, young man.” Magnus said evenly.

“I’m not fifteen anymore, Magnus! I know what I’m doing!” 

“Evidently not, because we’re about to storm the Institute and kill Valentine. Don’t you think that is a more worthy use of your time?” 

Raphael glared at the warlock, looking a bit ridiculous hanging upside down in the air. “How?” 

Magnus nodded at Maia, who quickly ran through the plan. Werewolves coming in the side entrances with Magnus and Catarina while Izzy came in glamoured as Clary through the front. Raphael listened, his eyebrows furrowed. 

“You’ll need more bodies.” 

“Are you offering?” Luke asked skeptically.

Raphael sneered at him. “If Valentine is to die, it will be at the hands of a vampire. I will call the clan here.”

Magnus raised a warning finger. “If you use them to hurt Clary or Alec-” 

“Then you’ll ground me for eternity?” Raphael challenged, and Magnus rolled his eyes. 

“I was thinking more enchanting all your human blood supplies to taste like vegans. Forever.”

Raphael narrowed his eyes. “You wouldn’t.”

Magnus smirked, inclining his head. “So what are we not going to do, Raphael Santiago?” 

Raphael huffed. “Hurt Clary or Alec.”

Izzy watched with amazement. She’d known that Magnus and Raphael had a special familial bond, but seeing Raphael act like a petulant teenager was just downright hilarious, and she knew she’d be laughing if not for the fact that they were casually discussing the safety of her girlfriend and brother. 

As Magnus lowered Raphael gently back to the ground, more vampires appeared in front of the Institute, ready for a fight. They looked to their leader, who was huffing and adjusting his suit, and then at Clary, who raised her chin defiantly. 

“Change of plan,” Raphael told them, not needing to raise his voice louder than his usual smooth murmur, “tonight we drink Valentine’s blood.”

The vampires looked keen for that, nudging each other and smirking, going to join the werewolves where they were crouching in the grass in preparation. Magnus and Luke looked at each other with amazement as the wolf pack and the vampire clan tentatively acknowledged one another, some even exchanging hand shakes. 

“Now, if Meliorn answers my summons…” Catarina murmured. 

“You called Meliorn?” Izzy asked, surprised. There was no way Meliorn would show after the disastrous downworlder cabinet meetings, surely. 

Catarina shrugged. “He owes me a debt. And so do the Seelies?” 

“What debt?” Magnus asked, his eyebrow arching. He liked to think he knew just about everything there was to know about Catarina Loss, but somehow she managed to surprise him once every half-century.

“It’s a secret that I can’t tell, but it’s a big one. Meliorn should be along- Ah. See?” 

They all looked to where she was pointing, and sure enough, a couple of trees had wound together to make a circle in their branches, the gap glowing green. Seelies popped out and dropped gracefully to the ground in twos, waiting on the ground until Meliorn finally came through, wearing his armour. Catarina walked forwards to greet him, and he shook her hand. 

“I hope you are not drawing us to our doom, Catarina,” Meliorn said in greeting, and Cat smiled.

“With you on our side, Meliorn, Valentine is as good as dead.” 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Being glamoured as Clary wasn’t as weird as Izzy thought it would be; luckily she and Clary were the same height so she didn’t feel too disoriented. There were two new circle members guarding the front doors, and Izzy fought them half-heartedly, allowing them to grab her after a few moments. 

“You have to let Simon go, you’ve got me now,” Izzy kept telling them, putting as much righteousness as she could into her tone. If Valentine realised that she wasn’t really Clary before Simon had fed on her, there’d be trouble. 

“Ah, Clarissa.” Valentine gloated, his face alight with smugness, “I knew you’d do the noble thing and come to save your little friend.” 

“Let him go, Valentine, you promised.” Izzy urged. Simon looked even paler than usual, his eyes rolled back so only the whites were showing. She struggled against the hold that the guards had on her, and Valentine nodded to them. As soon as they let her go, Izzy scrambled across the room, snicking the skin of her forearm with the point of her seraph dagger to draw blood. Valentine snatched it from her the second that the blood beaded on her skin, and she held her arm to Simon’s mouth. 

“Clary, no,” Simon slurred, his head lolling. 

“You have to drink, Simon, it’s okay.” Izzy insisted, smearing her blood across his lips. That was enough to tempt him, because without further hesitation he sunk his fangs into her arm. It only felt like a moment later when Simon was wrenched off her, and Valentine looked down at her with a smirk.

“Isabelle. How nice of you to join us.” He sneered. Izzy’s eyes darted to her clothes, and sure enough, she looked like herself again. She’d known that it would be a side effect of letting Simon drink from her, but she didn’t expect Valentine to look so pleased about it. “You’ve played your role perfectly.”

“My role?” Izzy repeated, feeling a little sluggish. Simon must have taken a little too much.

Suddenly, there was a flurry of movement, and several circle members in the room fell to the ground. Valentine grabbed Izzy, his sword swinging out. Simon paused, just short of Valentine’s reach. 

“Go,” Izzy urged him, “Raphael is-”

Simon was already gone, and Izzy sighed. Valentine huffed, straightening up.

“Now that we’re finally alone…” 

Izzy glared up at him. “I’m useless to you. I can’t activate the sword.” 

Valentine shrugged, wandering behind her with the soul sword pressed to her neck. “No, you can’t. But I remember what it’s like to have a parabatai,” he looked right at a phone, set up on Alec’s desk, and Izzy realised that he was broadcasting. She squeezed her eyes shut, praying that Alec had already left, that he couldn’t see it. 

“He won’t come, he has more sense than that.” Izzy said pointedly, glancing at the camera. 

“Oh, don’t say that. I’m sure Alexander is running to us right at this very moment…” Valentine gloated.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Alright, we’re here,” Alec breathed, “I can’t believe we actually made it.” He rushed forward into the white room, glancing at the angelic core in the chamber beyond as he stepped up to the control panel. 

“Yeah, me neither.” Raj chuckled, wiping a bit of sweat off his brow. “Now hurry up, it won’t be long until someone comes to secure this room.” 

Alec nodded, logging into the controls. He prayed that his Head of the Institute credentials had been verified by the Clave mainframe before the wards dropped and the Institute went into lockdown. It would make his job now so much easier.

“Fuck,” he hissed, shaking his head. “It’s still programmed to Aldertree.” 

Raj cursed under his breath. “Can you get around it?”

“I mean yeah, with a couple of hours.” Alec ran his hand through his hair. 

The screen for emergency transmissions blinked to life on the wall to Alec’s left, and he watched with horror as Clary seemed to turn into Izzy, and Valentine put a blade to her throat. 

“He has more sense than that,” Izzy proclaimed, but Alec was already shoving Raj aside and barrelling out the door.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Magnus hadn’t stayed with the wolves for long past the first fight at the side door. Luke was there to lead them, and besides, Magnus wasn’t much of a tactician. He’d gone off by himself with the intent of finding Madzie. His promise to Iris still stood, and even if it hadn’t, Madzie was an innocent. An innocent who’d been corrupted and used by a great evil, and… Well, that was something that Magnus could relate to. He needed to find her, to save her from Valentine, before it was too late. 

He’d been lucky enough to find Ragnor after his escape from Edom, and Ragnor had taught him that magic could and should be used to help people, rather than to gain power. Magnus could have so easily given into dark demonic magic, become a scourge on the world, but Ragnor grounded him. If he could just do the same with Madzie, perhaps his suffering as a child might have some meaning. Perhaps then it might be worth it. 

With so many people sneaking and fighting their way around the Institute, it was damn near impossible to sense Madzie’s little spark of magic, but Magnus managed to get a trace of her on the second floor. He found her hiding under the bed in Izzy’s quarters. He approached slowly, getting down on his knees. 

“Madzie? Do you remember me?” He put his head to the ground so she could see his face, and though she still looked scared, there was definitely relief in her expression. “Hi. Let me take you out of here.”

“He has Nana.” Madzie whispered, shaking her head. “I have to stay.”

Magnus’ eyebrows furrowed. “Your Nana isn’t with Valentine, sweetpea. She’s… In time-out. But she’s safe. Valentine can’t hurt her, he lied to you.” 

This seemed to surprise Madzie, and Magnus felt for her. 

“I can take you to see her, if you come with me. I’ll make sure you and Nana are safe, okay?” He wheedled, and Madzie nodded, crawling out from under the bed. She hugged Magnus tightly, and his heart broke to feel her shaking. “You’re alright, Madzie, you’re okay. I’ve got you.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The fighting hadn’t reached the inner rooms of the Institute yet, though Izzy could hear the downworlders fighting the circle in echoes that vibrated down the corridors as Valentine marched her to the central room where the angelic energy was released at funerals, as it had been at Jocelyn’s a few weeks before. The point of the soul sword was pressed to the middle of her back, and Izzy tried to keep her fear in check, tried to focus on staying calm so that Alec wouldn’t feel the need to come and save her. She hoped that he’d stay away, that Raj would stop him if he tried to come to her. 

There were two guards waiting for them next to the vent, fiddling with a device that lowered down into the chamber where the angelic energy was held, two thick cords with metal grips attached to it. When the guards saw Valentine approaching with Izzy, they stopped what they were doing and came forward to restrain Izzy. Valentine turned away from them to hook up the soul sword to the machine. 

“Alec won’t come,” Izzy told them, “the downworlders will get here first and they’ll tear you apart.” 

Valentine didn’t look up. “You may be right. But then… TO ME!” He shouted, and the doors of the chamber flew open. Dozens of circle shadowhunters poured into the room and positioned themselves around them, all of them armed to the teeth. Izzy’s face fell. The downworlders would be outnumbered. 

Izzy didn’t have much time to lose faith, however, because less than a minute after the circle shadowhunters had taken position, the downworlders burst in from two different directions. Immediately, a fierce battle began, shadowhunters and downworlders clashing without hesitation. The two men holding Izzy didn’t budge, holding her fast, and Izzy went up on her tiptoes, looking for Alec. 

It seemed Valentine had the same idea, because his eyes were greedily scanning the crowd, as well. A werewolf leapt at him, but he ducked out of the way of its snapping jaws and swept his seraph blade across the wolf’s chest, making it explode in a burst of sparks. He didn’t have time to rest, however, because every single downworlder in the room wanted a piece of him, and they were all making a beeline for him where they could. 

One of the guards holding Izzy staggered backwards, a seraph blade sticking out of his sternum, and Izzy smirked, elbowing the second one in the sternum. Alec tumbled into her eyeline, tossing her a seraph blade from his belt. They went back to back, falling into the rhythm of fighting together as easily as breathing. 

The moment Valentine noticed Alec in the fray, he started towards him, cutting down downworlders like they were nothing more than weeds on his lawn. Alec was distracted by one of the circle shadowhunters, who was wielding a two-handed longsword to Alec’s dual wield daggers. Izzy was engaged with another circle shadowhunter, and it was all too easy for Valentine to knock Alec off his balance from the side.

As Alec sprawled to the ground, Valentine pointed the soul sword between his eyes. Alec froze, panting, his eyes on the white-silver blade. A hand in his hair yanked him to his feet, and though he struggled, Valentine was stronger than him. He managed to wrestle Alec with his hand twisted up behind his back, the soul sword pressed to his throat.

An inhuman, demonic roar let loose as Valentine opened his mouth, and suddenly his strength made sense. Valentine must have been dosing himself with those injections, as well. Everyone in the room stopped and turned to look. The horror on the faces of the downworlders as they realised that Alec had been captured was obvious, and Alec desperately looked for Magnus, praying that he hadn’t come to help, that he was still protecting Clary.

He locked eyes with Clary, and his heart sank.

“Stand down!” Valentine demanded, “or I will fulfill the prophecy and have the Lightwood girl wipe all of you out!” 

The misgendering didn’t sting as much as the thought that Magnus was here, in the soul sword’s path. Alec hung his head, straining to escape Valentine’s hold. Even if it meant he had to break his own wrist…

“Stop that,” Valentine hissed, stepping backwards towards the vent, “I’ve won. Accept it.” 

Alec snarled, and renewed his struggling, kicking and wriggling as much as he could. Valentine’s grip was like iron. “I’ll die before I touch that sword.” 

Three circle members, all with varying bruises and scrapes, came over to hold Alec still. “Take it easy, princess,” one of them growled in his ear.

“No! No! Let me go!” Alec shouted, and all the downworlders and Izzy, Raj and Clary could do was stand there and watch as the circle members restrained Alec’s arms, and Valentine positioned the soul sword right at his hand, the cords attached to it plugged into the room below. Alec clenched his fist as hard as he could, squeezing his eyes shut. “No!”

There was silence in the room as Valentine finally managed to pry Alec’s hand open and forced the soul sword into his hand.

Nothing happened.

The circle shadowhunters had loosened their hold on Alec the moment he took hold of the soul sword, and now he acted without thought. He swung it with all his strength, slicing the three of them across their chests before turning to Valentine, sweat running down his face, teeth bared. Valentine looked confused and terrified as Alec advanced on him, and Alec grabbed him by the scruff of his neck when he was close enough.

“I don’t understand.” Valentine hissed, his eyes searching Alec’s. 

“I am more of a man than you will ever be.” Alec gritted out, plunging the soul sword into Valentine’s stomach and pulling it out quickly. 

He let Valentine go, stumbling backwards, and the downworlders all roared in utter joy. They swarmed around Alec, and Raj and Izzy ran to grab Valentine right as he finished searing an iratze into his skin. 

“Alec!” Catarina was the first to reach him, and she threw her arms around his neck, hugging him so tightly that he dropped the soul sword at his feet. When she pulled back, he saw that she was crying, and that surprised him more than the soul sword had. “You saved us all.” 

Alec shook his head, his eyes darting to the crowd, looking for Magnus. “It was the angels. They played Valentine from the beginning. Where’s Magnus?” 

Cat started looking around too, over the heads of the downworlders clamouring to congratulate Alec, but neither of them could see him. “He snuck off by himself, he didn’t fight with us.”

That was all Alec needed to hear to start panicking again, and he shoved through the downworlders, who all just started hugging each other instead, talking excitedly amongst themselves as Valentine was dragged away to the dungeons by Izzy, Clary and Raj.

The moment Alec was clear of the crowd, he broke into a sprint, running through the corridors screaming Magnus’ name. He checked the armoury, the ops centre, the barracks, and there was no sign of him. He stopped when he couldn’t run anymore, panting and sobbing. Where was he? Alec sagged against the wall outside his bedroom, his hands coming up to his face as the emotions of the past day caught up to him.

“Alexander?” 

Alec turned around to see Magnus, alive, his hand outstretched in concern, and Alec fell into his arms. “You’re alive, you’re okay.” 

“Of course I am,” Magnus soothed, running his hands through Alec’s hair. “I’m fine. I just saw Cat, she told me-” 

“Magnus, I’ve never felt fear like that, not in all the, the missions I’ve been on. Thinking I might have killed you, not knowing if you were alive or dead, I… I was terrified.”

“So was I,” Magnus admitted, rubbing Alec’s arm. 

“I know, I know that you don’t want to rush, and I don’t need it back, I don’t want to force it, but I love you. I love you so much. I never want to be without you, I never want to put you in danger ever again. I love you.” Alec sniffed. “I love you.”

Magnus looked stunned, his eyes wide. “I-I love you too.” 

“Yeah?” Alec breathed, finding Magnus’ fingers with his own.

“Yeah.” Magnus smiled slowly, stepping into Alec’s space to give him the softest kiss he’d ever bestowed upon anyone in his 4 centuries of life.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Valentine didn’t fight them as Izzy and Raj marched him down to the cells under the Institute. He said nothing, just stared straight ahead. Luke caught up with them right before they reached the cells, and took over from Izzy holding Valentine’s left side. He turned his head to look at Luke, a smirk ghosting across his face. 

“It seems that you’ve won, Lucian.” Valentine still sounded like he was gloating, and that made Luke suspicious. 

“Seems that way, doesn’t it?” Luke replied. “Me and your beloved angels. Looks like they hate you as much as we do, huh? Imagine that.”

Valentine’s face darkened as Izzy got the cell open. “What would you know about the angels, mutt?” 

Raj triple-checked that Valentine didn’t have any weapons still on him, before shoving him into the cell with Luke’s help. “The angels played you, Valentine. They were never on your side. They were on ours. On Alec’s.” Raj spat before slamming the door to the cell closed. 

“He’ll go to his grave believing that he’s right,” Izzy sighed, putting her hand on Raj’s arm. “He’s not worth your breath. Either of you.” Her eyes passed over Valentine. He hadn’t moved from where he’d fallen on the ground, his eyes darting back and forth on the concrete floor like he was thinking hard about something. “I have to go, the morgue is gonna be full tonight.”

“Mostly with circle members, thanks to Luke.” Raj added, smiling. 

Luke shrugged. “They’ve had it coming for a long time. Just a shame this piece of shit isn’t down there with them.” 

Izzy hummed in agreement. “His time will come. Don’t stay down here too long, okay? The pack needs you.” 

Luke nodded, and Izzy left with a tired smile at Raj. 

It had been a long, long day. Night. Day and night. She checked her watch, and sighed. It was day again now. It had been almost 38 hours since she slept, and she felt every minute as she walked up the stairs towards the morgue. People were still carrying bodies in, putting them down on the ground now that they’d filled all the beds. Clary was stood in the middle of the room, apparently waiting for Izzy, a clipboard in her hands. 

“Of all the places I expected to see you right now,” Izzy chuckled, “this was not high on my list.” 

Clary glanced at her, putting down the clipboard to give Izzy a hug. “You okay?” 

“Yeah. Tired, a few bruises, but I’m okay. You?” 

“Got a shallow cut off a circle fuckhead, but…” She pointed to a sheet-covered body three beds away. “He’s definitely worse off.”

Izzy snorted, pushing Clary’s hair over her shoulder. “Sounds about right.” 

“How’s Alec? He just outed to e-”

“He’s happier than I’ve felt him in a long time,” Izzy assured her, her hand going to her parabatai rune. “I mean, he’s feeling a lot of things, but happiness is definitely winning out, so he must have found Magnus.”

“Thank God,” Clary sighed. “Magnus will help him through this.”

“We all will. Besides, after what just happened, I don’t think that any downworlder is going to disrespect him.” Izzy hugged herself, smiling. “The angel just showed that they see him as a man, left him and everyone else without a doubt. So… He’s gonna be fine.” 

Clary shook her head slowly. “I can’t even imagine how he must feel right now.” 

“I know,” Izzy said, “it’s… Huge.” 

“So…” Clary folded her arms. “If the prophecy isn’t about Alec…” 

Izzy shrugged. “Must be about my Mom.” 

“Is she in love with a downworlder?” 

“I mean, she’s definitely not in love with my Dad.” Izzy shrugged.

Clary raised her eyebrow. “Are you sure it’s not about you?” 

Izzy huffed, rolling her eyes. “Yeah, right. After all my doubt in the angel, I bet they were dying to give me a part of them.” 

“I guess,” Clary allowed, “but I can’t see your Mom-”

“Magnus will straighten it out once we’ve dealt with all this,” Izzy insisted, looking around at the bodies. “But for now, I have a lot of work to do. Think you could give me a hand?” 

“Yeah,” Clary agreed, though she knew that she’d insist on returning to this topic of conversation sooner rather than later, “I already started labelling the bodies with numbers.”

“Great,” Izzy went to grab her lab coat, stepping over the bodies. “Let’s get to work. Can you open the blinds? I need natural light or I’m gonna fall asleep.” 

The two women got to work, dragging the bodies on the floor into a proper row to make it easier to go through them. A few of them were downworlders, almost half were Clave shadowhunters that Izzy and Clary could identify, and the rest were Circle shadowhunters, and would probably stay as John Doe’s unless Valentine felt like identifying his men a few days down the line. 

“Raphael sent me to-”

“Simon, no!” Clary shouted, whirling around to see Simon standing in the doorway, right in a patch of sunlight. 

The vampire flinched, his hands coming up to protect his face, but nothing happened. He slowly lowered his hands, blinking against the first sunlight he’d seen in months.

Izzy dropped her clipboard, her eyes wide. “You-”

“I’m standing in sunlight,” Simon said slowly, touching his cold face. “H-how am I standing in sunlight?!” 

Clary rushed over to him, and checked his pulse. “You’re still dead…”

Simon let his fangs fall. “Still a vampire.”

“But you can’t be.” Izzy insisted. “You can’t be.” 

“But I am,” Simon pointed out, squinting up at the window. “That’s sunlight.” He straightened up, and ran out the door. 

“Simon!” Clary yelped, putting down her paperwork to follow him. 

Clary and Izzy caught up with him on the steps of the Institute, where he stood, staring up at the sun. Magnus and Alec had been sitting on the steps, their hands still linked between them as they stared speechlessly at Simon. 

“How…?” 

“He’s a daylighter,” Magnus said quietly, his voice uncharacteristically awed. “How did this happen?”

“I have no idea,” Simon looked down at himself, a grin breaking across his face. “I have no idea!” 

Luke let out a low whistle as he approached, his hands on his hips. Raj’s head was shaking as he looked at Simon, eyebrows almost in his hairline. Maia came to stand next to Magnus, her mouth open. Simon shrugged, turning around in a circle. 

“Seems that Alec isn’t the only miracle to happen today,” Raj pointed out, and Simon chuckled in disbelief. 

“What do we do?” Izzy asked.

“Right now?” Magnus asked, squeezing Alec’s hand. “I think right now we should just count our blessings.” He sat back down on the steps, tugging Alec down next to him. Alec smiled, and kissed Magnus’ temple.

Luke sat next to them, stretching out his back. “I can’t argue with that.” 

“I am too tired to walk another step,” Raj agreed, sitting down with a click of his knees.

Simon and Clary joined them, Clary’s arm around Simon’s shoulders. 

“There’s a mountain of bodies in there that I have to-” 

“Sit down, Iz, that’s an order,” Alec insisted, patting the concrete step next to him. Izzy huffed, but did as she was told, and Maia sat next to her, resting her head on Izzy’s shoulder.

“Some day, huh?” Maia sighed.

The eight of them chuckled and watched shadowhunters and downworlders rush around them, working together as the sun warmed the Earth, and for a moment, they revelled in peace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The finale arrives!! Thank you SO MUCH for reading Scrambling For Purchase, I've (mostly) had a blast writing it. The sequel, my version of season 2B, will be called KEEPING THE PEACE, and will open with a double posting on December 2nd. I follow the tag #SFPfic on Twitter if you wanna livetweet!


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